


Ace Trolling: The Black Lucario

by Fabricati, tluthal



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Anxiety Attacks, F/F, Gen, Original Pokemon Trainer - Freeform, Other, Pokemon Journey, Talking Pokemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-02-12 08:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 35,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2103462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabricati/pseuds/Fabricati, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tluthal/pseuds/tluthal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Far in the past, before people and pokemon lived in harmony, Jenn and Sera were partners. When that partnership was threatened, Jenn chose Sera, and the pair found themselves in a strange future - a future filled with partnerships like theirs. With fast friends and quick thinking, they might just avoid trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Showdown

“How long has that- that _thing_ been here?!” Anna’s mother screeched. Jenn stifled a groan and wiped xir hands on a towel and tromped out to see what the fuss was about this time. Last time it’d been the chicken coop, and the time before that it’d been the bee hotel--

What gave the impression of a bipedal black and brown dog backed away from Anna’s parents, her ears swiveling down. Her front arms held a bag full of game she’d spent the morning catching, almost hiding the thick steel spikes emerging from her wrists and chest. The sunlight glinting off of them broke the illusion, as surely as her pleading red eyes. Her ears were tall, slim, and normally front facing, her muzzle just as proudly slim. Four thick dreadlocks fell from the back of her head to slim shoulders more proportionate to a human than a dog. A kinked tail wagged behind her, trying to appear less threatening.

Jenn set xir jaw and stormed across the yard, not quite shouting as xi went. “Her _name_ is _Sera_ , and _she’s_ been feeding you since you got here, so you can just drop that _thing_ business right the-” Jenn barely stopped xirself from swearing, “right now!” Xi spoke loud and carrying, from a good ten feet away, so that Granny, Grandad, and Nana would hear from their house and wonder what the fuss was. Anna’s mother gaped at her stupidly for a moment, but Anna’s father drew himself up like he thought he -- and therefore his opinion -- was important.

“That’s ridiculous, that’s one of those monsters the Barrier is supposed to keep out of here.”

“Yeah, and what’s your point? She’s been here longer’n you have!” Jenn finally reached them and put an arm around Sera’s shoulders. Xi was a little tall for xir age, enough so that Sera fit neatly against xir side.

“That’s-”

“Now what’s all this?” Called a voice from the main house, nearly as loud as Jenn’s had been moments earlier. Granny had heard, then. “Rose, Edward, you leave off that girl this gods-be-damned instant.” The tiny, elderly woman left the house, hands on hips and a sour expression on her face.

“Mrs. Lakes, your granddaughter’s trying to say this monster is-”

“Sera ain’t no monster and has more business bein’ here than you do. If it weren’t for Anna bein’ Jenn’s friend, you lot wouldn’t be here an’ my property’d be quiet and peaceful like it ought to be.” Granny’s jaw set about like Jenn’s tended to, and her eyes narrowed at them. “And if it weren’t for Anna’s sake I’d send you packing right back off to town to deal with the banebreak like the rest of ‘em. So you hush up and I don’t want to hear another word about this.”

Anna’s parents didn’t look happy, but they did shut up while Jenn took Sera back to the house. Granny watched them stalk off to the secondary house, where Granny’s parents had once lived, but now the families of three of Jenn’s close friends did.

“I’m starting to think it was a bad idea to ask them stay here...” Jenn grumbled to xirself.

“I can live out there just fine-” Sera started.

“Stuff and nonsense.” Jenn and Granny responded at once, hoping this would be the end of it.

\----

It wasn’t the end of it. Early the next morning - what Granny unfondly called the asscrack of dawn - they came pounding at the door. Jenn answered the door, barely ready to take a walk around the fence to check for breaks, and almost shut said door in their faces. Anna, Zach, and Chaz were conspicuously absent, but all six of their parents were there.

“What.” Jenn glowered at them, surly from the early call for social skills.

“We’d like to speak to your mother,” Zach’s father started.

“She’s sleepin’. What’s yer message?”

“Your grandmothers? Or grandfather?”

“They’re sleepin’ too, but for Nana who will tell you to dunk your head in the septic tank no matter what you’re wantin’.”

“What about-” He started.

“You can talk to me or you can go back to bed.” Jenn started to close the door.

“That- you are an insolent child-”

“I learned from the best, now what in the name of all that is good and holy do you want?”

Chaz’s mom stepped in, patting Zach’s dad on the shoulder. “Hush, Tom. It’s about your pet monster. Chaz and Zach and I think Anna too, they just don’t feel comfortable with it around.”

“Bullshite.” Jenn snapped. “Zach wants one of her pups and Anna hides behind her whenever we rough house, and I know Chaz doesn’t give-” The parental smiles of understanding had frozen solid by now, so Jenn stopped xirself from completely tearing into them. “If you’re scared of her that’s one thing, but don’t hide behind your kids to say so! And if you’d interact with her for five minutes you’d see she wouldn’t hurt anybody.” Xi stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her.

“I’m sure your parents will be much more understanding-” Zach’s dad started again.

“Nope, and even if they were it ain’t their call to make. It’s _Granny_ ’s property and Granny just about raised her. Now I’m going to go check on that fence - which by the way is the only thing keepin’ the dangerous ones out of here, and if you all wake them up I’ll make sure the chicken coop stays in your front yard this week.”

That was the end of it for a few days, but this time Jenn knew better than to think they’d drop it. Granny assured xir cheerfully that they could either live with Sera or outside the fence, but Jenn still took the tent out to the furthest corner still inside the fence, and stayed there with Sera to keep them out of sight and maybe out of mind. Xi wasn’t in the least surprised when Sera’s pups joined them, sleeping curled against xir for the warmth and comfort both.

\----

Xi was even less surprised when Zach and Anna’s dads showed up late in the evening. What did surprise xir, though, was the rifle over Zach’s dad’s shoulder. Xi went cold with fear, then even colder, sending the pups scurrying out the back entrance to the tent, under the fence, and into the safety of the woods.

“You put that down.” Jenn’s voice was full of ice, so cold it should have frozen the mens’ bones, but they were adults, and what adult listened to a child, especially when armed?

“Now Jenn, it’s just a monster. It ain’t safe for you kids with it here.”

“ _Sera_ isn’t a danger. You put that down.” Where was Sera-? Jenn listened for the tell-tale vibration and felt xir blood freeze when xi felt xir friend leap the fence, right in front of the men.

Zach’s dad started to line up his sights, intent on taking care of the problem, and Jenn exploded.

“ _YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!_ ” Xi shoved the shorter, smaller creature behind xir, standing full-on to the man, so he’d have no choice but to shoot xir or back off.

Behind them, something roared. Jenn turned xir head to look, praying it wasn’t one of the true monsters, and caught a glimpse of the massive form of- of something- before the shock that followed the roar turned everything to ripples, and for a short time, to nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first and second chapters will be posted at the same time, after that they will be posted weekly in order to maintain the current chapter cushion. Many thanks go to Fabricati, who co-authors the second chapter and on, and to Zuki and Jimborg for beta-reading.


	2. Ripples

Everything had been quiet that morning, even that afternoon. But then shockwaves had started to ripple across the landscape, startling pokemon and setting the trees to shaking. An earth-shattering roar echoed, and then at the center of the shockwaves an aura like a candle-flame began to flicker, becoming a fire- a bonfire- an _inferno_ flickering in the wind, then twin infernos, and finally at their centers their owners followed them. A final shock rang out from them before the winds settled.

Jenn reached behind xir and squeezed Sera’s paw, before xi looked around. They were together, but were they safe-?

WHUMPH. “Ow.”

Jenn jumped and yelped in surprise, while Sera hid her own start and tried not to laugh. “We’re fine. Settle down.”

“I’ll damn well settle down when my heart stops tryin’a pound right out of my chest, thank you very much!” Jenn pressed a hand to xir chest.

Slowly getting up and grumbling a mighty grumble was a tall, coltish, muscular girl, with dusky skin, brown eyes, and black hair. She was definitely a girl-- at least, that was her chosen mode of dress-- and she didn’t make any attempt to say otherwise. “The hell just dropped in--?” Vaguely above her hung the remains of what had to have been a hastily-improvised bed, strung between two trees.

Sera looked between the two of them. Jenn was, per usual, buried in layers of clothing that disguised xir gender as best they might, and protected xir fair skin from burning rather than tanning. Xi had short brownish-auburnish hair and steely blue eyes, and was biting xir lip as xi looked at the strange girl.

Sera palmed her face and groaned.

“... Hi.” Jenn finally addressed her.

The girl slowly blinked to look at xir. Oh. Well. “Hi.” Okay, so that was a person and a... Lucario? She could only guess because that one was so black, both Aura users, who had somehow snuck up on her with shockwaves. Both of them were pretty, though. “How did you two get here?”

“I’m... not actually sure.” Jenn admitted, reaching up to scratch the back of xir head. Xir voice was deep for a girl, but high for a boy, which made guessing even harder. Xi looked at the Lucario, raising an eyebrow. Sera shrugged at xir, not sure she was willing to talk in front of the stranger yet.

“... Suits. Figures you can’t sneak up on me without popping into existence hey presto.” She rubbed her eyes, not nearly as injured as she was acting.

“Well I dunno about poppin’ into existence.” Jenn ran xir fingers through xir hair and sighed. “We were in a pretty nasty situation an’ then somethin’ got loud behind us and next thing we knew everything was rippling, and then white, and then rippling again.”

She growled for a moment. “The Absol’s luck strikes again!”

Jenn looked at her sharply, and Sera perked up.

“You know what an Absol is?” The black Lucario sounded excited, and distinctly feminine.

“Of course I know what an Absol is, what is this, a remedial cour-- … You can talk.” She sighed. “Okay, pretty sure this is a dream now, guys, the landscape can start melting and the two of you can show up now.”

“More likely my afterlife, that was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, and don’t you give me that look ‘cause I’d do it again in a heartbeat and-”

“Yes, Jenn, _I know_ , shut up. You’re not dead and you, young lady, are not dreaming.”

“Yeah, one of Cresselia and Darkrai would have shown up by now,” she nodded. “Anyway. Camp’s not much here, but at least it’s a place and that’s better than you can say for a giant field in the middle of nowhere.”

Jenn and Sera both turned to look, and Jenn winced a little. “... Wasn’t empty the last time I saw it.” Xi took a deep breath.

“Right. I’m Sera, she’s Jenn. Who’re you?”

“Kerry. I came out here to train in the wilderness.”

“Nice to meet you, Kerry. Um. Where are we, exactly?” Xi strode over to the girl, face curious and open.

Kerry gave out a lot of approximate distances that didn’t mesh with any towns Jenn knew, though the landmarks were mostly still around.

“So we moved in time, most likely...”

“Well, that was the lord of time...”

Kerry held up a hand. “Back up. What.”

“This used to be my Granny’s homestead. We got into a sticky situation with some folks who were living here too and well... They about shot Sera, and I got between ‘em and suddenly something roared.”

“That something would be the lord of time.” Sera asserted a second time.

“... That’s incredibly moronic. It might have been effective, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t kill you and might have only pissed you off. Who does that?”

“Idiots.” Jenn nodded firmly. “They thought she was dangerous, just because she wasn’t a ‘normal’ animal.” She even air quoted.

“Well. To be fair, a wild pokemon isn’t something to fool a-- wait you did what.”

“She isn’t wild, and--”

“And she pushed me back.” Sera rubbed her face. “Still thinks I’m a pup half the time...”

“... Okay, while your dedication is commendable, I’m not sure that was the wisest idea.”

“It really wasn’t, but she wasn’t thinking clearly.” Sera pointed out. To be fair to Jenn, xi was still fighting down the adrenalin rush.

“Which means you two need a rest.” Kerry gestured back towards where the bed had fallen in. “Come on, I’ll get you set up for the day.”

“Thank you...” Jenn bit xir lip again, but relaxed a little when Sera slipped her arms around one of xis. ... Okay, that hoodie had to be ridiculously large if that simple a gesture almost pulled it off one of xir shoulders.

“Least I can do.” She nodded as she went along. It was like her entire base camp was up in the trees, and there were no convenient handholds, so she had to struggle up a little. Jenn sort-of grumbled xir way up, and stuck xir tongue out at Sera when the black Lucario hopped her way up.

“You didn’t have to come up, I’m just up here because I have to climb it to get things.” She loosed a rope, which sent a bivvy bag hurtling down to the forest floor.

“S’alright. I haven’t climbed for a while is all.” Jenn shrugged. “And she’s a show-off.”

Kerry set about repairing her own sleeping area, as well. “So you’ll need someone to start you off in this strange new world, sounds like.”

Jenn snorted at the almost-reference and nodded. “Yeah, we weren’t exactly prepared to be shot however far in the future we ended up.”

“So I’m gonna have to give you some balls, or fly you to a survey station, or something of the sort.

“A survey station?” Jenn tilted xir head at Kerry, confused. Balls xi could guess at, between Granny’s theories and what Kerry had said so far but... survey stations?

“Usually biological, some geologic and all of them with weather.”

“... Huh.”

“Why, what were you expecting?”

“I don’t even know, but not that.” She shrugged. “Why a survey station?”

“Because applying to be part of the survey team and taking the junior cert is a good way to get a start on things.”

“The junior cert?”

Kerry had to pause for a second to dial back the jargon. “Junior champion certification. It’s a pokemon training program. Applies a slight subsidy to starting trainers, gives them some tools and a pokemon.”

“... Wait...” Jenn frowned, not sure what xi thought of just, giving away a pokemon like that.

“... Well you do need to take an exam for it.”

“That still... oh, just go on.” Xi’d mull over the ethical implications later.

“Anyway, the cert goes this way…” She’d spare Jenn the history lesson, for now. A trainer could approach the survey team or not, though they were sometimes approached by the survey team instead. In any case, a trainer going for their junior cert challenged the eight gyms spread across a region, cataloging the local fauna, learning the lore and geography of the region, and growing strong enough to handle themselves handily in any situation they came across. Most trainers stopped after two or three gyms, whenever the challenges became more serious and demanding. Those who beat all eight were then able to approach the elite four, and after besting them, challenge the regional Champion. Beating the champion completed the certification, opening up certain job options and granting the trainer the ability to travel outside their home league unescorted.

Jenn found xir head reeling from all the implications. People were expected to befriend and train pokemon and travel cross country in just a school year-?!

If you wanted to hold the more risky government jobs, yes. Surprisingly, a medical doctor or biologist only needed six badges, and most professionals not in high-risk situations could get by on five or four.

... Huh.

“But yeah, any high government position needs a full cert.”

Jenn chose not to comment on government positions and xir lack of knowledge. “Makes sense, I guess.”

“Honestly, though? If you can extend your compassion past just Sera, I think you’ll get your cert without any hangups. Hell, your first three badges will be cake just on Sera alone.”

“Huh. I kind of get the impression the first three are generally a cakewalk anyways?” Jenn tilted xir head. “But fair enough. I don’t think it’d be hard, assuming someone doesn’t get _jealous_.”

“I do not get jealous.” Sera stuck her tongue out.

“... For someone who’s genuinely dedicated? Yes, the first three are easy. Not everyone’s so inclined.”

“Fair enough. Guess it’s better than forcin’ people who don’t wanna be there to sit through classes they don’t care ‘bout.” Jenn leaned back a bit, looking up at the sky. “... Crap, if I’m headin’ back down I better do it now.” The sun had set, leaving just dim twilight to get xir down safely.

“The bag’s two layers and a pad. You’re not gonna need the heavy weather shell tonight,” Kerry said. “Unroll it, pad goes on the ground, bag goes on top of pad. Watch the spikes, they’ll tear through it.”

“Alright. Thanks.” Jenn flashed Kerry a grin, shifted xir weight, and let xirself slide down the tree, barely slowing xirself by touching against and off of branches until xi landed safely on the ground. Between xirself and Sera, they quickly got the bag settled. Sera snuggled against Jenn’s chest, quickly drifting off. Jenn watched and listened to the night for a while before xi gently drifted off, not even aware of it until xi awoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the dinguses have met. More to come, probably next week but maybe a bit faster.


	3. Momentum

The next morning dawned bright, clear, and full of snores. Sera knew full well that Jenn was the opposite of a morning person, and that it would take a miracle to get xir out of the sleeping bag without being dumped out of it before xi was damn good and ready to get up.

She liked a challenge.

Challenges did seem to be the order of the day, actually. There was something else there. Kerry had already vacated the treetops, and was nowhere in sight, besides. Instead, there was a tall, ferret-looking beast, with violet and lavender fur and a quick, weaselly air.

Sera wormed her way out of Jenn’s clingy grip, ears perking with interest. “Hello there?”

The beast nodded, then pointed at Sera, then back at herself. “Shao.” At least she had quite an aura. But where was Kerry in all this?

Sera figured Kerry was probably still asleep. She stood and nodded. “Yes, let’s.”

If there’s one thing you can say for a Meinshao, it’s that they are FAST. The newcomer gladly put that speed to use, at least until--

“Li, what are you doing?” Kerry’s voice called.

Li waved Kerry off.

Kerry let her aura flower into being. “I said. What. Are. You. Doing.”

Sera broke off for just a moment, opening her eyes to get some relief from the aura shine. “We’re just playing.”

“... All right. Don’t hurt each other, okay? Li, I’m going back to training.” And then, just as suddenly as the sun blossomed into being, Kerry’s aura dimmed to a candle flicker.

“Of course.” Sera bowed, closed her eyes, and grinned at Li. “Shall we?”

Jenn, meanwhile, was slowly waking from the heat in the sleeping bag.

Kerry wasn’t about to wake her up, but the sounds of sparring and horsing around might.

They did. Jenn awoke with a groan of exasperation and emerged from the sleeping bag and xir hoodie at almost the same time. Xi wasn’t nearly as muscular as Kerry, but that had somehow hidden a simply massive bust beneath the thick hoodie. “Nnnuh.”

Kerry got an eyeful but averted her eyes in an attempt to leave Jenn to xir own devices and consent.

As for the pokemon, the playfight was escalating. Sera was difficult to injure, but not quite so fast as the Mienshao. So far she’d avoided throwing too much power into any attack, but trying for greater speed meant greater momentum as well.

Jenn rubbed an eye and watched them for a moment before xi fully processed what was going on. “... Sera, you’re gonna need a bath.” Xi adjusted xir swimsuit to sit properly before xi wriggled the rest of the way out of the sleeping bag. The fight at that point had to break up. Sera grumbled a little but nodded. Bah, baths.

There was a cliff line not too far into the wood proper, following that west a little ways led to hearing a waterfall as the cliff rose out of the ground, to nearly two stories. After about ten minutes in that direction, they came to the waterfall itself, vaulting down upon rocks into a wide, deep plunge.

The mists slowly resolved to reveal Kerry standing under the main fall, knees slightly bent, eyes closed.

Jenn looked around and grinned, then sat down to shuck xir shorts, boots, and socks. This left xir with only a swimsuit and a wild grin on. Before Sera could attempt to talk sense into xir, xi took a running leap off the ledge and into the water.

As xi approached, there was another wrinkle to it-- farther out of the mists, Kerry had left almost the entirety of her clothing. A sensible precaution, given the spray, but what was she wearing then?

Jenn was curious, but then xi was the next thing to naked xirself. Xi swam closer, testing what sort of space xi had for laps. That it gave xir a better look at Kerry was simply an added benefit.

Kerry’s legs had the look like they could crush skulls, and probably had at some point. Her hips stood out, despite being packed with muscle. She only spoke loudly enough to be heard over the falls. “Far enough.”

“Party pooper.” Jenn laughed, dove, and resurfaced a good distance away, near one of the shores, then began to swim laps. After several reluctant grumbles and a hopping trip down, Sera joined xir to at least wash up a bit.

Not long before Jenn would have stopped swimming laps naturally, Kerry stepped out of the waterfall, throwing off the cheap white thing that already had holes in it and putting on her drier clothes. “I’ll be making breakfast soon.”

Jenn trod water for a moment. “Fair enough. Will we have time for a quick spar?” Xi nodded towards Sera.

Kerry spared a glance to the two of them. “Best of three falls, and hold back, neither of you have your gear.” When she wanted to, Kerry could jump, clearing the plunge entirely at once before putting on her shoes. She tested them for a moment as if she wasn’t sure they were fully on, tapping her toes on the ground.

Sera grinned at Jenn, waiting on the shore for xir to swim over and shake the worst of the wet off.

“Well then, you heard the lady.”

* * *

 

Some thirty minutes later, Jenn and Sera had found their way up the falls, to Jenn’s clothes, and back to the camp - just in time for breakfast. Jenn sported a few new bruises, but seemed unbothered by them. Breakfast wasn’t much to write home about; not even eggs, or sliced meats. Kerry could cook functionally, and that was about it.

Neither was in a mood to complain though, they’d effectively missed dinner the night before. Jenn broke the silence. “So. Survey stations.”

“Right, hold on a second.” Kerry pulled out a small red device, about the size of one of those notebooks that claim they can fit in a pocket but only do so on the most uneasy of terms. She opened it, and fiddled with it for a few moments, and tsked, walking out to the open field before fiddling with it again. “Here we go.”

Jenn chuckled, following her and taking a look. “... Illiana?”

“That’s the region we’re on the edge of at the moment. We’re in the borderlands between it and Sanguis. Illiana… Well, if I had to describe it, it’s a region with a fire under it. More so than usual. Not just the volcano. I mean, even the people. It’s a slow, concerted effort, but everyone there is genuinely concerned with making things better once the revolution happened.”

“The revolution?”

“Because of the synthetic apricorn. It’s. A bit complex, and has a lot of little hinky bits, but the broad stroke is that in a lot of places the balance of power got thrown out of whack when you could mass-produce pokemon capture devices.” She scratched the side of her head. “Once Dr. Silph had either released the plans to a willing public or economic conditions in the countries that didn’t want it got so bad people smuggled it in, well…”

"Ah, I see. This might not be such a good place for me to be, then. Sounds like both sides would either want me to... disappear, or to toe the party line."

“... That might be a worry, yeah. I’ll call in a few favors from people around, we’ll get you signed in on the quiet and I’ll escort you somewhere else.” She paused to think about the conditions around the regions. “Unova’s stable, but it’s bordering Illiana; it can project power there easily enough and might have reason to come looking. Hm.”

“Hmm. And I’d imagine Sanguis is the same... probably any other neighboring regions, too.”

“Ah, Astrida’s in a similar boat as Illiana, and Florense just… Florense is weird, don’t try to live in Florense, it’s too much marshland anyway.” She considered possibilities. “So of ones I know how to pull strings and get to easily enough, that leaves… Rineha, Sinnoh, and Kalos.”

The last two names made Jenn look sharply at Kerry. “... Hmm. Where’s Rineha?”

“Huh? It’s over a mountain range from Kalos, on the east.” Pwip pwip pwip went the sound cues of changing town maps. “... Wait, you don’t know where Kalos is, my bad--”

“Kalos is analogous to France...”

“To what?”

Jenn sighed. “Illiana? Is where two states, Illinois and Indiana, used to be. Unova’s New York, pretty sure Sanguis is Kansas, I’d guess Astrida is Texas and Florense is almost certainly Florida... Sinnoh’s somewhere over where Japan was, probably close to Johto and Kanto--”

“Okay half of these place names aren’t clicking and how did you know that about those three regions?”

“You _really_ don’t want to know.” Jenn groaned and rubbed xir face with one hand.

“... If you say so,” Kerry replied, dubious.

"It's like to fuck with your head. Some names matched up with things I know and I made some educated guesses. Um. Moving on, I'd stick out like a sore thumb in Sinnoh if you're anything to judge by."

“I’m a bit darker, and quite a bit taller than most.”

"Fair enough." Jenn grinned at xir own pun.

If Kerry caught it, she didn’t say anything, shrugging. “If you’d feel more comfortable going to Kalos or Rhineha, that’s fine. It only changes who I need to call.”

"Hmm." Jenn considered, pondering the two. "What are they like?"

“Well, Rhinea… Rhinea’s a bit of an economic power, trading through its northern sea and holding most of the boats. Kalos is a popular tourist destination, it's got a lot of castles and old money. I’m afraid most of what I know of them is a hiker’s knowledge.”

"... hmm... Gut says to go with Kalos..."

“Good. I’ll get it set up as we hike.”

"Okay!" Jenn almost chirped.

There was some breaking down and packing to be done, but soon enough they were ready to move out.

“... Oh. One more thing. I take it you don’t have a ball, Sera?”

"They didn't even have apricorns the last time I checked." Sera nodded.

“Mm. We might need to take a flight. If that happens, will you be all right with a ball?”

"How do they work?"

“Not sure. Li tends to think hers is always a little cramped, but warm. I’m pretty sure they are inside.” Kerry shrugged and figured that as long as they were walking there wasn’t any harm in letting Li out to tell Sera about it.


	4. Survey Station

The Survey Station wasn’t a lone building, as it turned out. In fact, a tiny town - it barely deserved the designation, it was really more of a cluster of buildings - had sprung up around it. No two buildings were alike, from their color to their philosophy to, Jenn was fairly sure, their laws of physics.

“... Is that one _upside down_?”

“No, just on a bit of an odd balance. Actually, I think Joan was worried about seismic activity when Mordecai built it but there hasn’t been an earthquake yet and he loves his damned birds.”

“Right.” Jenn drawled, letting the vowel stretch out until the single-syllable word was closer to ten. Xi paused and shrugged back into the hoodie xi’d almost abandoned in acknowledgement of the heat.

Kerry rapped on the survey station, closed her eyes, and nodded. “Okay, so this way--”

“Comin’.” Jenn followed her.

* * *

 

Mordecai was not a very deathly looking fellow, and in fact ‘his damned birds’ were everywhere in that building. Some of the roosts were empty, but at least one horned owl- more horned than most- slept the sleep of psycho birds, while Mordecai fed strips of meat to a raptor three times the size of his head.

Sera stared for a moment, before lifting the back of Jenn’s hoodie and clambering up her taller friend. Jenn burst into giggles, squirming from the soft fur all along xir sides and back. “Ack- hey-!”

“One second, Constella gets annoyed if she’s not fed on time, isn’t that right, dear?” Mordecai said, holding up a hand to the entrants. “Now then, wha- Oh! You’re Kerry. This must be Jenn, then. And… Sera, right?”

“Yeah. She doesn’t like birds too much, they used to pick on her when she was a pup.” Jenn casually clasped xir hands behind xir back, supporting the Lucario.

“Hm… You really think she’s dropped in from the past?” Mordecai said, leading Jenn to a small payphone looking device with a keyboard and a webcam.

“I know, right?” Kerry replied. “She seems to be a natural, that’s the only explanation.”

“... Xi. Not she.” Jenn corrected, half-expecting a snarky reply.

“Xi, excuse me.” Kerry didn’t even fake compassion, just a calm acceptance of the correction.

“Right. Well, xi’ll probably want some of the reading material then before xi takes the exam. I do hope I don’t have to tell you my ass is on the line here.”

“That would help. I think I’ve got most of the changes - seems to be spelling and a wee bit of syntax here and there - but a bit with something to read would help, yes.”

So Mordecai handed another of those notebooks, this one filled with basic information presented in the common manner of books which wanted to be accepted into the public curriculum for the edification of school-children everywhere, albeit with a certain difference in the creatures identified.

Jenn accepted it, sitting down and shifting Sera around into xir lap so they could both read it. Sera had to tilt and turn her head a little oddly, but was able to read well enough.

Kerry let out most of her team to sit in her lap. It was warm and she had nothing to do but wait, for once.

Mordecai paused. “May I take a picture?”

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead.” Jenn didn’t even look up. Xir parents and grandparents had been doing similar since xi was a kid.

 _Click_.

“You shoulda seen her pups.” Jenn closed the notebook as xi finished it. “Half the time they’d insist on sitting in my lap too, half growling and half talking.”

“It got crowded.” Sera agreed.

Kerry rubbed her eyes.

Mordecai shrugged. “Well, that’s to be expected with four… Riolu?”

“She’d already changed by then. They were _her_ pups.” Jenn mistook his confusion.

“Right, of course,” Mordecai said. Must have been a trick of sound, that’s all. “The exam and form are ready whenever you are.”

“Alright. Move your butt.” Jenn poked Sera. Sera grumbled mutinously but shifted around to xir back again. “Better now than later.”

Part of the exam was identification, part of it was care and feeding, and some of it seemed to be… Dilemmas. The latter induced much eye-rolling in Jenn. Despite that they’d rarely had to face down monsters, xi knew rather well how to handle the ones that had been the most common. All in all, xi finished the exam in a quarter of the time given.

“Hm. Let’s take a look then…” Mordecai nodded along, then nodded again. “Hm… Useless, as usual. Still, you’ve passed.”

Jenn snorted derisively and rolled xir eyes. “Personality tests. But that’s good.”

“If we had the people, I’d honestly say it’d be better to have a trained empath or something.” He shrugged. “Ah well. Your gear should be just about printed.”

Jenn managed not to look at Kerry, but Sera started snorting and laughing, almost sliding off of Jenn as she did.

“Alright gigglebutt...”

Mordecai handed over five basic balls and another one of those damned standardized notebooks, this one with small camera lens set in it. “Pokegear, starting stake--”

“--Starter,” Kerry prompted.

“Do you know how damned difficult it is to scrounge up a Kalosian starter, Kerry, you owe me for this.”

“You know I’m good for the atrep and you know I can pay back the favor. Just tell your buddies I’m not dumb muscle, all right?”

“Yeah I got it, I’m just saying we had to go pretty far afield to get these transfers. Right, so. Fennekin, Froakie, Chespin.” He indicated the respective pokeballs.

Jenn was a little baffled by the exchange but let it go over xir head. “Hmm...” Xi lifted the pokeballs to the light examine them, considering and conferring with Sera silently.

_They’re just babies._

_Well, yeah, I’m not surprised. But I’m not sure which you’d feel most comfortable working with..._

_That ‘Froakie’ seems a little... odd._

_Yeah, same with the Chespin. Feels like there’d be a personality clash, yeah?_

_Yes. So I’d prefer Fennekin. It seems shy though..._

_Shy we can work with._ Jenn grinned, holding up the ball. “Fennekin.”

“You got it.” Mordecai quickly put the other two into... Jenn wasn’t quite sure what it was.

Xi ignored that though, in favor of calling xir newer partner out for a cuddle and to decide on a name. “A-aw. You’re so cute.” Xi gathered the Fennekin into xir arms, discreetly checking the sex. … Female!? Well, maybe the games were wrong. “I think I’ll call you... Brienne!”

Kerry nodded. “Okay, that’s all. We were never here.”

“No one ever is.”

“Right. Sera, could you get off...?”

Sera once more grumbled mutinously, but slid out from under Jenn’s hoodie. Almost as an afterthought, she turned to Mordecai. “Thank you for not being startled when I spoke.”

“... Holy shit.”

“... Oh _come on_.” Jenn groaned. Xi’d rub xir eyes, but xir arms were currently full of adorable fire fox.

“... Carooo...” Sera’s ears drooped and she slid both arms around one of Jenn’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like once every four days it is, at least until we start to slow down.


	5. Cruisin'

Jenn stared up at the ship, tilting xir head. It felt _weird_ to not have Sera at xir side, but xi and Kerry had agreed that the black Lucario would attract far too much attention. Even the Luxury Ball Kerry had supplied felt odd. “It’s huge. And I’m gonna stick out like a sore thumb.” Jenn chewed on a thumbnail.

“All these cruise liners are huge.” Kerry shrugged. “Anyway, want to double up for a bit? It’ll get you some idea of how battle etiquette works.”

“Sure!” Jenn perked up. “I don’t want to accidentally be rude or somethin’.”

“Let’s see… Room…” Grumble grumble where were the tickets… At least Jenn’s gear functioned as a passport as long as she was with someone.

Jenn thought it was cool, particularly when xi realized most of the staff were using the correct pronouns with xir as well. “Hmm~”

Their rooms were well-appointed and spacious. The entrance was dual-doored for privacy, and lead to a large living room and a powder room. From the living room there was access to a long, narrow balcony and the bedroom. The bedroom was dominated by a massive bed and access to a shorter, wider balcony with a soaking tub. A full bathroom and training room were also accessed from the bedroom.

“Holy shit, Kerry, do I even wanna know how much you dropped on this?”

“A sizable amount, but not too unreasonable,” Kerry shrugged.

“Right.” Jenn took it xi didn’t want to know, and took a look around. After a moment, xi finally noticed one tiny detail. “Oh, hey, there’s only one bed.”

“Hm? Sorry, it was all that wasn’t booked, and two steerage class would have been more expensive.”

“Fair enough. Not the first time I’ve shared a bed with a friend, unless you’d rather I take the couch?”

“No, that’s fine,” Kerry nodded.

“Alright then.” Jenn smiled.

“Hm. Once we’re under weigh, I think I should visit the exchange.”

“The exchange?”

“You buy things there. On-ship tourism. Small premium, but not all that much. Not least because none of it’s actually properly tailored.”

"Only tailored stuff I've ever had is stuff granny knit me, so that's no big deal."

“... Okay we have got to get you proper things before long.”

Jenn blinked. "Uh... okay!"

She wasn’t kidding; a casual challenge staked with some pocket change not long after the boat was out of port provided enough pyen for Jenn, at least, to pick what she wanted. Alterations were a little extra, but clothes? Just cloth, on the body, off the rack? Were dirt cheap.

Jenn had intended to be in and out quickly. Xi had a certain stylish flair, a tendency to be picky, and overall rarely felt a need to agonize over clothing. Of course, xi had also never been faced with so much clothing that was to xir taste. Instead of right in and out, xi found xirself biting into xir lip as xi tried to at least narrow it down a bit.

“... come on. Let’s help you get a bit more cash so you can buy all of it.” Kerry sighed and started dragging xir along, but not before going and buying one or two things she thought would look okay later, or at least, less tight.

“I- I- okay that sounds like a plan.” Jenn allowed xirself to be dragged out.

“All right. So we need some cash quickly. How do you feel about a bit of ace trolling?”

“Pffft. Trolling’s fun, but what’s ace trolling?”

“Well, these things are agreed on for stakes, right? So one way you can get a lot of cash is, well. It’s a little shady, but if people are confident, they tend to stake more. So if you put up just enough to be interesting, but not enough to say you’re making a lot on battling…”

“Oh man. Oh man that would...” Jenn covered xir mouth to stifle giggles. “Yes.”

Within a few minutes, a tourist known as Trace was thoroughly flabbergasted, confused, and laughing in spite of himself. “Well, I can’t say I expected that, but you earned this!”

Sera, on the other hand, grumbled and retreated to her ball with a request to wake her up when they were _off_ the boat. Not long after that, Jenn had a new wardrobe that looked classy enough to suit xir, though not enough to suit Kerry, who hrrmed at it and said it would do until they could get to a proper clothier.

An Atlantic cruise takes around two weeks, if you’re just going straight across the ocean. This one was actually heading up past Karp Cape first, there to take on and drop off passengers. The days when it was reasonably sunny, Kerry could be found out on the deck or on the balcony if it wasn’t too windy, lying back, getting sun and largely not caring who saw as long as they didn’t complain.

On days it wasn’t, well. There was the arcade.

Jenn, on the other hand, attempted to acquire some culture, when xi wasn't in the jacuzzi. One such attempt, a fishing lesson, landed xir with another partner, a Luvdisc xi dubbed Bellatrix. When such attempts grew boring, however, xi spent time looking over Kerry's shoulder.

Kerry’s methods in the arcade could be charitably described as “spastic”. While she didn’t tend to break anything, she almost seemed to flail her way through levels, leaning with the character, all with the same generally cool expression she approached most anything.

"Nerd." Jenn liked to tease her at the perfect moment to throw her off.

The shiver it sent up Kerry’s spine did make her eat a combo but she managed to flail her way through the rest of the match.

"Bloody damn nerd."

She handed over the controls to one of the people waiting their turns, then spun on Jenn, her hair doing that little twirly thing hair does when it spins about. “I think that’s a little strong.”

Rather than verbally countering, Jenn handed her something, grinning almost grimly.

Kerry looked at it for a long moment, trying to figure out the significance. Hm. Clamshell. A false start opened the machine wrong, but she walked through the halls inspecting it for the power button and other such things. BADONGONGONGONG~

"... how about we wait 'til we're back in the room?" Once safely back, Jenn walked her through getting it going.

“... Huh. Ancient simulator. I’ve heard of simulators before,” Kerry said. “Though this one seems to have a bit more plot than most.”

"Yeah. Check your town map."

“Yeah, this is about right.” Kerry wasn’t sure what her point was.

"I was replaying it the night before we met. Subjective time."

“You spent your time playing training simulators? For fun?” She shook her head. “I get your point, actually, but… Just because this predicted today, I don’t think it was prophetic. At least, not deliberately.”

“Oh, I don’t think it was deliberately prophetic but... That series of games? It ran for almost forty years. And what I remembered from them? All clicked for you. And they stopped making them... about twenty years before Arceus appeared.”

“So what other regions were covered? I presume Kalos, Kanto, Johto, Unova, but…”

"Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, the Sevii Islands, Orre... Orange Archipelago, Decolore Islands... Fiore, Almia, Oblivia... Holon.... the Southern Islands... Ransei. I know I've forgotten more, too."

“... Orre? That backwater? That’s kinda surprising.”

“Yeah.” Jenn nodded. “Not that it was part of the handheld series but... I believe it being a backwater was kind of the point.”

“Anyway. … Ransei, seriously…? ANYWAY. This probably means you have a good working knowledge, maybe at a ten hours for one rate.”

“Fair enough.”

“Anyway, I’m probably going to loaf or play in the arcades the rest of the trip.” She nodded. “Ah, blessed off time.” Then she blinked. “I shouldn’t have said that. I should not have said that…”

“I swear, if I end up with anime protagonist syndrome because you said that, I’m going to _haunt_ you.”

“What protaga what now? Doesn’t matter, I’m a proverbial Absol, like I said.”

“Anime protagonist syndrome. Like. Um. Sailor Moon! The moon princess and guardian of love and justice?” Jenn gambled based on the name of Kerry’s Empoleon.

“Heard of the last two, those are ooooooold stories. What’s the sailor part got to do with it?”

“That was the English name of the story. She wore a sailor suit uniform. My Granny and Grandad were nuts about it. Something something bishoujo senshi?”

“Right, right. They’re doing a modern take on it.”

“What you’d consider a modern interpretation is probably closer to the original form than you’d think. My middle name is Serenity because of that damn show.”

Kerry’s gear went off suddenly. “Huh. Satellite must be coming in.”

“Hmm?”

Kerry checked it. “... It’s the studio.” She took the call. “This is Natar. Hm? Hey. I’m on the _Marie_ , actually. Yes, the cruise ship. Tania. No, I wasn’t going to be doing any filming, why?”

There was a long silence while Kerry listened. “I’m. A little flattered my name came up, but I’m mostly a traveler, I’m not sure I could do a series.”

Another long silence. “... I. I’m really not sure I could do the character justice. I mean. Come on. I’m hardly a creature of moon-like grace and beauty. … Okay, okay, when are auditions? Wait you’re calling me about this nine months ahead of auditions!?” Click. “Holy hell. Serenity!? That badly!?”

Jenn bit the inside of xir cheek trying to hold back laughter, but after mere moments gave up, doubling over and howling with laughter until xi couldn’t see for the tears. Between near-sobs of laughter, xi managed to squeak out, “You’re. Perfect.”


	6. Tania

Tania was foggy as they came into port, as was Tania’s general habit. Jenn was rather glad xi hadn't gotten rid of xir old clothes. "Hmm... so..."

“Welcome to Heathrow City. We’ll be staying here all of two hours, passing through to Wellsia via Yeager, then taking the train down to Shalour,” Kerry replied, looking around. Customs came first.

"The train?" Customs were just as boring as the first time.

“Yeah. New project, just got finished a few years ago. magrail all the way to Shalour.”

"U-under the channel?!"

“Yeah!”

"Dang. That's pretty cool."

“But first, we need to get those clothes altered, or get you a new set,” Kerry nodded.

"Uh... okay. Still not sure what the big deal is..."

* * *

Heathrow City was sizable, and old. Incredibly old. The river had changed its course hundreds of times, but still coursed through the veins of the city whose fog stood opposite Lumiose.

Jenn boggled, taking in as much as xi could. This was- this was fascinating! And xi was starting to see what the big deal was - most people seemed to be wearing clothes that fit better than any xi’d ever seen before.

The clothier looked up from what they were working on to look at the two of them. “Oh, hello. How can I--” The tailor did a double take at Kerry.

Jenn hid a grin. “Hello!”

“Hi.” Kerry’s manner was slightly brusque. “My friend and I need some tailoring done--”

“Oh, piffle, I’ll be happy to outfit you both, so long as you say where you got them, of course.”

Kerry barely let a flicker of confusion pass her features. “Excuse me?”

“... How many contests were you in, again?” Jenn prompted her.

“Eh? a few, but isn’t that more about the pokemon?”

“And who did you get a call from?” Poke poke. “But I know we’d be happy to say where we got our clothes from.”

“That’s way tentative, and I’m not about to drop their name,” Kerry deflected. “But. Yeah, should be okay.”

The tailor was eager to please. Jenn’s outfit wasn’t terribly impractical, consisting of a miniskirt and two-layer top, boots, and thigh-high socks. “Are you _sure_ I don’t look dumb in this?”

If there were any such thing as a diaphanous outfit in this world, Kerry’s definitely fit the bill. It looked like it was made almost entirely out of gauze, the belt bra almost managing to keep everything together. “I don’t know, I think this could work…” She sighed as she looked at it. “This feels a mite cold, though.”

“Just a mite?” Jenn snorted.

“You’re well aware I can run warm when I like,” she shrugged.

“True. It’d definitely turn heads... I just feel like I’m going to be flashing my panties at everyone...”

“Hm. She sells bike shorts, as well--” Kerry was ushered into the back quickly with quite a bit of blushing on the part of the tailor.

One pair of shorts under the skirt later, and Jenn was quite satisfied, though rather confused by the sudden exit. What in the world?

If anything, Kerry’s resultant skirt was even poofier than Jenn’s, though still with the various spring or summer colors-- Green, mostly.

Jenn grinned at her. “You look good.”

“Thank you.”

Sera had waited patiently, but tapped a foot now. “A-hem.”

“Oh! Right. Um. Sera likes wearing clothes...”

Though Kerry had only planned two hours for their clothing, in the end it was late afternoon by the time they were done. Yeager was perfectly capable of making the next leg, and from there, they took the train into Shalour City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Little shorter than usual! Don't worry, we're getting to the interesting stuff. Tune in next time for Shalour City.


	7. Shalour and Aquacorde

The train ride was uneventful. Jenn eventually fell asleep with xir head on Kerry’s shoulder, and so missed all but the tail end of it. They emerged in a spill of humanity onto the platform, and out into the twilight outside the station.

Kerry stretched and looked at the Tower that rose above Shalour City. The platform moved without them; she pointed it out. “The locals call it the Tower of Mastery.”

“It feels huge.” Jenn closed xir eyes, turning xir head blindly towards it.

“It does. I don’t know the truth of it, having never been inside.” Not far out of the station and into the streets of Shalour City proper, Kerry paused, and raised an eyebrow. Pelting past them for a moment came a blue-black-tan blur, which only skidded to a stop to look at them, then ran past into the night.

Not long after, huffing and puffing on inline skates, a blonde skated by, followed by a more sedate blue-black-tan dog-fox. Both of them slowed a little to watch the two of Kerry and Jenn go by, then resumed their chase.

“... Huh. Would you believe only one of her pups was colored like that?” Jenn tilted xir head and looked after them. “Anyways... Looks like the tide’s low. Wanna try and get in?” Xi grinned.

“To the Tower? Sure, why not? Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to stick around in a salt bar for a few hours.”

Jenn looked around. That looked like a clear shot. “Race ya.” Xi took off like a shot.

Kerry didn’t so much as grumble, taking it swiftly over the land bridge, enjoying the balance of silt under her feet again. Even with the advantage, it was nearly six hundred meters to the other shore. Kerry had plenty of time if Jenn planned on sprinting.

As it turned out, Jenn was faster in heels than xi’d been in regular shoes, using an odd balance xi’d learned between xir Granny and Sera, but after the initial burst xi knew better than to sprint the whole way.

And this was how an old man, dressed in the manner of a true recluse, came upon them, racing towards him and the small island on which the Tower of Mastery sat. One was laughing breathlessly but saving xir teasing, at least until xi spotted their watcher. Jenn waved briefly before refocusing on the race. Kerry spared only a nod, as if recognizing someone.

In the last hundred meters, Kerry poured on the speed. Though Jenn responded in kind, Kerry’s height and training advantage let her win by several seconds. Jenn skidded to a halt not far behind her and doubled over with hands on knees, both to catch xir breath and to laugh. In contrast, Kerry took deep breaths, and while her expression didn’t change, she put a hand on Jenn’s shoulder, eyes never quite leaving xir as the old man struck up a conversation. “Forgive me, but-- you two, you’re aura users, yes?”

Jenn finally caught xir breath again and grinned up at both of them, putting a hand on Kerry’s. “Eh, yeah. You are too, aren’t you? In a place like this, you’d almost have to be!”

“... You’re Shalour’s gym leader?” Kerry hazarded.

“I was until recently. When I retired, my granddaughter Korrina took over for me.”

“Ah. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“Hm. Would you like to stay the night in the Tower?”

Jenn blinked, surprise flickering in xir pale eyes before xi could hide it.

“I would be quite happy to,” Kerry said. “Jenn?”

“That’d be fine with me, yeah.” Xi nodded.

“Well then.” The old man smiled. “Come inside!”

There were a small warren of corridors leading up to it, but the tower proper got started out with-- with--

Kerry stared blankly at the statue for a long moment. It had a passing resemblance to Lucario, but the hair was too big and everything was too sharp. It was nearly two stories tall! And Sera chose the exact moment Jenn looked up at it to vacate her ball to take a look at it too, curiosity overwhelming their desire to stay unremarkable.

“Oh!” The old man looked at Sera and nodded. “A… Black Lucario? Interesting.”

Sera’s ears perked and she looked between the old man and Jenn, before deciding she could trust him. “See? I _told_ you they’d be fine.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright. They were fine and I was silly for worrying.” Jenn laughed, putting an arm around Sera’s shoulders. “And yes, this is my partner Sera.”

That got another surprise out of the old man, but he nodded politely. “Of course, Miss Sera. It’s clear you both trust each other.” There was a long silence. “Come, let’s get you two- three-” He paused again-- “four some dinner, and then I can talk with, ah-- what was your name, miss? I believe you have the advantage.”

“Natar. Kerry.”

“Ah! I’ve heard of a promising young upstart by that name. Yes, I think talking with you would be perfect.”

Jenn glanced at Kerry, wondering what the old man was talking about, before suppressing a giggle. “Hi, jealous.”

“Maro.” The Marowak buried his head against Kerry.

“Gerome, this is-- Gurkinn, yes?”

“Yes, that’s right. This way.”

Jenn didn’t completely contain a giggle when Sera scrambled up xir in response to Gerome’s hiding. “I don’t have my hoodie, you lose by default.”

While the statue was over the top, the dining hall was not, arrayed mostly with benches attached to tables by wood spars. On one wall, there was a mural of humans wearing blue and black breaking bread with each other, Riolu and Lucario at their sides. One pair, especially, was painted as if ringed by a golden light which Kerry at least recognized as a representation of Aura.

Jenn spent a long moment examining it before what it was intended to represent clicked. Xir eyes widened in recognition, but xi didn’t say anything, instead turning xir attention to Sera until xi could school xir face back to neutral.

The food was simple enough fare and there were cells enough to hold an army if needed, though these were more plushly appointed than they used to be so as to hold tourists. Jenn settled in with Sera and Brienne quickly enough, resuming their efforts to teach Brienne human speech. After nearly half an hour, Jenn was satisfied with their progress for the night. Kerry had yet to return though, so Jenn padded quietly through the tower, looking for her.

Eventually, xi found Kerry and Gurkinn still deep in conversation. Reluctant to interrupt, xi waited and listened from just beyond the door.

“... for contrast,” Kerry finished.

“And what will you do, then?” Gurkinn asked, with curiosity in his voice.

"Hm. I think I'll take on some post-cert challenges."

"Hah. You’ve got nothing to really do, you mean."

"It's a good way to spend some time. Get better. I don't have many other skills."

"Hm, so you say. There's other rumors, mind. Tell me, Absol, what do your dreams tell you about the future for Kalos?"

"Life and death. That is all." At this point Kerry finally stood up. “It’s been a pleasure, but I think I shall turn in.”

“As shall I.”

“We’ll be leaving via flight in the morning,” she announced, even as she stood at the door. “Good night.”

“Good night.” He paused. “Jenn, is it? Come in.”

Jenn blinked, almost freezing, then came to the door, leaning casually against the doorframe. “Yes?”

“You were listening, yes?” It wasn’t really a question, more the sort of bald statement a dean might make before handing out a punishment.

Which was why it didn’t even phase Jenn. Authority figures cranky at xir? Piffle. “Yep.”

“Hm, what did you hear?”

“You aggravating Kerry into politely telling you to shove it where the sun don’t shine.”

If looks from humans could kill, Gurkinn’s would have been quietly burying the body by now. “Yes, well. She also gave you high marks. I’ll be expecting quite a bit from you as you travel through Kalos. Though I hadn’t expected eavesdropping.”

“I’ve been working with Sera since I was nine, I’d _hope_ that’d count for something. An’ it’s a good habit to pick up when people like to talk about you behind your back.”

“Only nine?” he looked a bit smug. “Ah, well. I’d better not keep you any longer. Good night.”

Xi raised an eyebrow at him. “Sleep tight, I’m sure you need your rest at your age.” Xi turned, waving over xir shoulder.

* * *

They had settled on Aquacorde before even reaching Kalos. Xir initial winnings let Jenn rent a tiny but furnished house near the river that xi could use for a home address and had to correct xirself on calling a ‘base of operations’, rather than simply living out of hotels and pokemon centers - especially once xi got xir flying cert.

“Here, then, is where we part ways, at least for a little while. I’ll be around the region,” Kerry said. “Get yourself settled. I’ll call you in a week or so, see how things are going.”

“Alright.” Jenn nodded. “Thank you for your help, Kerry, I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what was going on otherwise. I’ll talk to you in a week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We haven't forgotten about this, I promise. Just been a rough week. Enjoy!


	8. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jenn has a panic attack. If you find such content disturbing, skip to below the first horizontal rule.

Jenn’s eyes snapped open, pale and unfocused. Xir breathing sped up and xi scrambled back across the wide bed, back slamming into the headboard as xi scrambled for something solid to hold onto. Waves of fear rolled off of xir, tainting the peaceful air in the room.

_Stop projecting._ Sera broke into Jenn’s thoughts. _You know it just causes a feedback loop. Jenn, stop projecting._ The Lucario scooted up next to xir, taking one of xir hands and placing it on her chest. _Come on. It’s okay. Stop projecting._

“Fenne?” Brienne blinked sleepily up at them, and crawled into Jenn’s lap, curled up, and went back to sleep.

_See? It’s okay. You’re okay._ Sera nodded when Jenn’s panic slowly eased, xir breathing slowed, and one hand stroked down Brienne’s back. _That’s it. Everything’s okay. I’m here. You’re not alone. You’re okay._ She slowly gathered Jenn against her, letting her trainer cry. _There you go. Just breathe. You’re fine._

* * *

It was early afternoon before Jenn could get dressed and ready to at least find something to eat. They hadn’t gone food shopping the previous evening, so their first stop was a terrace cafe that overlooked most of the town. Sera refused to stay in her ball, given the tone of the morning, and so the two strolled arm in arm along the wall, taking in the view before they chose a seat.

”He~ey! Oh wow, your Lucario really _is_ black!” Jenn and Sera jumped, turning to look at the speaker. A young girl with brown pigtails and a pink shirt waved, looking up at them.

”Yes, she is. Can I help you?” Jenn raised an eyebrow and leaned a little over the terrace.

”We’ll be up there in a second!” Came the reply. Jenn and Sera exchanged confused glances. Moments later, they were surrounded by a group of four teenagers, apparently lead by the perky young brunette who could almost pass for Kerry’s cousin. “You’re Jenn, right? And Sera!”

”Yes, why?” Though xi was tempted to turn shy, acting confident seemed the better approach.

”Come have lunch with us!” A tall, heavyset boy suggested.

”We have a message for you, from Professor Sycamore.” A short redhead added. Sera elbowed Jenn.

”Well... I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”

Several minutes later, the group was seated around a table, waiting for their food. “So I’m Shauna! The big guy’s Tierno, and the shy guy’s Trevor. Mister silent and handsome is Xavier.” Shauna grinned at Trevor’s distress and Xavier’s green-eyed glower.

”Pleased to meet you. Apparently you already know who I am.” Jenn nodded to each of them in turn.

”Cut to the chase, Shauna, Tierno.” Xavier was, in fact, a rather handsome young man with ashy blond hair and skin even darker than Kerry’s.

”Right!” Tierno broke in before Shauna could continue. “Professor Sycamore - he’s the regional coordinator for the survey stations - has a project for us! Originally it was just gonna be the four of us, but he had a fifth pokedex and when he heard about you, well, he wanted us to extend the offer to you too. I guess you’ve got a head start, huh? But there’s still a pokedex in it for you if you wanna help out.”

”What kind of project?” Jenn tilted xir head.

”Professor Sycamore would like us to research Mega Evolution during our journey.” Trevor broke in with a nervous smile.

Jenn kept xir face confused, and quickly learned that none of them were sensitive to aura as cold shock washed over her. “Uh... oh... kay? Never heard of it.”

”It’s really rare, and takes a lot of potential. Professor Sycamore thinks we have what it takes. Are you interested?” Trevor offered two devices. “The first one is a pokedex, the other is a holocaster. I see you have a pokegear already - you can integrate the pokedex with it later.”

Jenn chewed xir lip. “Alright. It certainly can’t hurt anything.”

”Hey, aren’t pokegears from Sinnoh?” Shauna broke in again. “Are you from Sinnoh, then?”

Jenn smiled. “Yeah, I was pretty far out in the wilds though, and the cold made me kind of sick. That’s why I came here.”

”Neat! Hey, could we call you a nickname? Like Xavier’s Mister X.”

Xavier pointedly rolled his eyes.

”If you want to.” Jenn shrugged, hiding a smirk at Xavier’s annoyance.

”You’re totally a li’l J!” Shauna crossed her arms and nodded, missing Jenn’s pained expression.

”Shauna, come on. You think _everyone’s_ a li’l.”

”I’d like to see you do better!”

”Uh- uh... What about J-pop?”

Jenn rubbed xir eyes.

”Hah! How about Lady J? ... Oh, wait, your trainer card says you’re non-binary...”

”Lady J is fine. I don’t mind feminine titles, just don’t use feminine pronouns, okay?” Jenn sighed, pretending to ignore Sera’s snickering.

”Lady J it is!”

* * *

Mid-morning the next day, Jenn hmmed over xir choice of sketchbook and if getting a bag of sweeties now would ruin dinner later. Chocolate was certain to melt unless xi ate it immediately, which removed a good third of xir considerations - but several of the hard candy varieties xi’d never heard of. Sassafras, horehound, butterscotch, and cinnamon were all familiar, but what in the world was ‘Colbur’ supposed to taste like? Or ‘Lansat’? Oran and Pomeg xi could guess at but...

Well. Xi’d gamble on pomeg, and pretend xi hadn’t noticed Sera’s devious expression. Purchases made, the pair strolled across the bridge to the beginning of the forest path.

“So!” Sera slipped an arm around Jenn’s.

“So?”

“How long is it supposed to take?”

“‘Bout half a day, explorations included. So if we don’t get completely lost we should make Santalune by early evening, probably before the gym closes.” Jenn gestured with xir free arm.

“So we’re going back into the forest, where one of us usually smashes bugs with a shoe, why?”

“Because the other route is flying, and we don’t have flight clearance or a friend who knows how to fly nearby.”

Sera groaned. “This is such bullshit.”

“It really is. At least it’s a new forest?”

“Yay. New forest.”

“And we have candy.”

“Speaking of...”

“Nope. We’re going back to skill building 101.”

“Wow! Your Sera talks?!” Jenn and Sera both froze, turning to face the girl who had somehow snuck up on them. Shauna grinned widely.

“... Yes. I can speak human languages. What about it?”

“That’s so neat!”

“... Right.” Sera sighed.

“So we’re all gonna travel through together. I bought some extra medicines, so if you want I can heal your pokemon if they get hurt...” Shauna inched closer to Jenn. Jenn carefully put Sera between them.

“Uh- Well- We probably won’t need any help- so you-”

“Oh I know I don’t have to!”

Jenn sighed in resignation. “If you insist...”

“Yay!”

Somehow, what should have been a simple walk through the forest with a bit of training had turned into an excursion. Jenn awkwardly tried to ignore the mostly-jovial group and Shauna’s attention, focusing instead on straying far enough into the grass to find items that had been left behind and run into the odd pokemon.

“... Fuckin’ bugs.”

“Can I _please_ just smash them?” Sera whined, watching Brienne’s awkward attempts to coordinate herself enough to actually cough the odd ember onto her opponent rather than the ground near it.

“No, if you do it for her, she won’t learn how to do it herself. Alright, one more time. Use ‘ember’!”

“Bri!” This time, the small Fennekin managed to actually hit the Scatterbug they’d been fighting with for the last five minutes.

“Good job! What a good girl. You’re getting it.” Jenn cooed, carefully drawing a pokeball out of xir bag. One careful underhand throw later, and they’d added a new member to the team. Brienne turned to Jenn, wagging her tail and looking up hopefully. “... Oh alright, I guess that counts as a win. Here ya go.” The little firefox greedily gobbled up the dark red candy.

Jenn slowly noticed the group of friends looming over xir.

The big guy spoke first. “Oh, hey, that’s a pretty neat idea! I bet I could get my Corphish to work on his Swords Dance with that.”

“Well,” The little guy piped up, “Rewarding a pokemon for a battle well-fought _is_ a technique most Ace Trainers use.”

“... It’s. It’s positive reinforcement, guys. Didn’t your moms give you somethin’ special when you did what you were supposed to without having to be reminded? Same principle.”

The group stared at Jenn like xi’d grown a second head. And then a third, uglier head.

Trevor adjusted his glasses. “See? Xi’s a shoe-in for an Ace.”

“Thanks.”

Before anyone else could think of some way to delay her trainer, Sera perked up, looking deeper into the forest. Jenn raised an eyebrow before xi caught her intent, and gathered Brienne into one arm at the same time Sera grabbed xir shirt and took off at speed.

“Wha-”

“Woah-”

“Hey!”

Sera didn’t stop for several minutes, finally skidding to a halt by a berry tree a bit off the beaten path. “Look! Cherries!”

“Oooh, nice find.” Jenn grinned, setting Brienne down again.

“Bri.” The Fennekin grumbled and circled the tree curiously. “Bri Bri Bri Bri.”

“P-pika pi!”

Jenn and Sera both tilted their heads, waiting to see what came of that... and a moment later were rewarded with the sight of a Pikachu so chubby it could barely waddle away from Brienne, who followed with her nose almost on it’s - no, his - tail.

For a long moment, they just stared at the ludicrous sight of Brienne chasing a Pikachu around a berry tree. The thing couldn’t even scamper. It wasn’t that late in the autumn, was it?

“... Awww.” Jenn cooed. Almost immediately the Pikachu broke off from the endless circle around the tree to hide behind xir and attempt to climb xir leg. Jenn could barely stop giggling enough to pick it up.

Sera crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.

“Are you jealous of this here chublord?”

“I do _not_ get jealous.”

“Uh huh. You just want your turn to get carried, huh?”

Sera harrumphed.

“Pika.” He started to wiggle in Jenn’s arms.

“Want down again? There ya go.” Almost as soon as Jenn put the poor chublord down, Brienne was upon him again, tail wagging eagerly. Jenn sighed and smiled. “Alright, Chublord, looks like you’re coming with us.” Before the roly-poly electric rodent could react, xi tapped his head with a pokeball.

Xi let him back out almost immediately. “So where’ve you been hiding out, huh?”

He stared at xir blankly before Sera leaned down and grumbled to him. “Pi!” He toddled off behind the tree.

“That way.”


	9. Santalune City

By the time Jenn finally made it to Santalune, it was growing dark. Xir first stop was the Pokemon Center, to get xir group fighting fit. It was their first real encounter with one, and Jenn wasn’t quite sure what to expect. For one, it was four stories tall, a massive square with a cylinder running up each corner, capped by a bright red roof and emblazoned with a stylized pokeball.

Inside, it was bright, cheerful, and mostly clean. To their left, people and pokemon reclined in chairs and on couches, watching a TV beyond a corner, reading, or playing quietly. To their right was a bustling dining area, with people going past a different corner and coming back out with trays filled with food. Directly ahead were two desks, one with a stylized human figure above it, the other with a stylized pokeball. To either side of the desks were hallways, though Jenn didn’t really notice them yet. A bored-looking teenager with pale pink hair perked up as Jenn entered.

“Hi! Is this your first visit to a Pokemon center--” The pinkette took note of Sera, “-- here in Kalos?”

“Oh! Um, yes, it is.”

“Would you like a tour?”  
  
“... Yes please.”

“Okay! It’s all pretty simple.” The teenager stood, dusting herself off. “I’m Rosa, by the way. Anyways, on the left is the rec area. Don’t wreck anything, don’t fight over the TV channels, and don’t be too loud and you’ll be fine. There’s a PC in there so if you have some friends in storage you can switch ‘em out. On the right is the cafeteria. There’s a menu posted inside the tube, it’s twelve pyen for a meal on its own, for you and up to two pokemon, otherwise two meals for you and up to six ‘mons are included with a room checkout. Rooms for rent are down that left-hand hallway,” She pointed, “and there’s a changing room near the desk if you need to change your pants ‘cause they’re ripped or something.”

Jenn nodded, looking where the now-enthusiastic door greeter pointed.

“Right. Right-hand hallway leads to the pokemart. It’s pretty basic and some things are restricted based on how many badges you have, but if someone sends you something you can pick it up at any pokemart. If you need a specialty item they can recommend local shops, too. The desks are pretty self explanatory - humans on the left, pokemon on the right. They’re pretty much dead right now so if you want to heal up real fast it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes. You could probably drop your friend off and get a room checked out if you want.”

“... What time does the gym close?”

“Nine. It’s... seven thirty right now.” Rosa checked her watch.

“Okay! That sounds like a plan then. Nobody’s too hurt.”  
  
“... Wow, you’re hardcore!”

“Is that so?” came a familiar voice. Jenn turned to look.

"Hi Kerry!"

She raised a hand in greeting. “Might want to go in for a basic checkup while you’re here. I have a room, wouldn’t mind sharing it. For now, I’m out for a walk.”

Jenn nodded after her. After a moment, Sera tugged xir towards the ‘pokemon’ desk. Jenn laughed and let the Lucario lead the way. “Um. Hello!”

For a moment, the poor nurse was struck speechless. It was one thing for a confident pokemon to lead a nervous trainer, it was another thing entirely to see a Lucario in a dress, let alone a frilly, dusky purple dress. Sera looked almost like a doll with knee-length poofy skirt and bell-shaped, frilled sleeves.

Rosa leaned over the counter, waving a hand in front of the nurse’s shocked face. “Da~ad. Snap out of it.”

“Oh! Oh, right. How can we help?”

“Well, we just got through the forest, and I don’t think anyone’s hurt badly, but could I get them checked up on anyways, please?”

“Ah! Certainly! Most of our scanners work best while your pokemon are inside the ball, but if your Lucario is uncomfortable we have the facilities to check them out as well.”

Jenn looked at Sera. Sera rolled her eyes.

Ugh, fine, whatever. POF went the Lucario’s ball as she returned to it.

“Alright.” Jenn passed them over. One Luxury ball and four regular pokeballs. Huh.

All of them are carefully popped into the healing machine. Jenn struggled not to dub it a ‘rejuvatron’ or something similar.

It wasn’t even really a healing machine so much as a diagnostic device, now that xi could see him sort of looking over a bunch of readouts. “Hm. Nothing too serious, they’ll be in full form in about--”

“--Twenty minutes,” the girl chorused with him.

“Yes.” He looked them over again as he started futzing with touch displays. “Hm. This pikachu is way overweight…”

“Yeah, he’d found himself some trainer’s old camp where they didn’t clean up too well. Must’ve left half their stuff, but they’d been gone at least a month. He led me right to it.”

“What.”

"What? Sera translates for me." Jenn shrugged.

That… Only made a little more sense, but he nodded anyway. "Right..."

"Anyways, you have time to go check in. You could stay with your friend for a reduced rate!" Rosa reminded xir.

"Alright, thank you." Jenn smiled. Xi was reluctant to leave Sera with strangers but... well, they were doctors. And they had more experience, surely they could do more for Sera and the others than xi could.

“C’mon! It’s this way.” Rosa motioned for Jenn to follow her. Jenn nodded, following her across the room and down the left-hand hall. A bored-looking teenager with blue hair perked up and smiled at them.

“Hi Rosa! Found somebody else to pester, huh?”

“Shut up or do your spiel, Sam.” Rosa rolled her eyes.

“You’re no fun. Right, so, are you renting a room for yourself or sharing with someone?”

“Taking a friend up on her offer to share.” Jenn ran a hand through xir hair, looking as bored as xi could manage.

“Right, what’s her name then?”

“Natar, Kerry.”

“Ooh. In~teresting. Anyways you’ll have a reduced rate of 40 pyen per night as long as you two share. If you go solo it’ll bump up to 60.”

“Alright, that’s fine.”

“Okay. Trainer card please.” Sam held out a hand expectantly. Jenn had to dig around in xir purse for a moment before handing it over. Sam ran it through one machine and over another and handed it over with a flourish. “You’re all set. Your room is on the third floor, block E, room 3. Since you have a Pokegear registered, if you use function 7 after inserting your card, it’ll pull up a map to show you, or you can check the lobby of any floor. There’s three bathrooms, you’re cleared to use the female or queer ones on the same side of the hall as your room. Just wave your card in front of the card reader in the elevator and it’ll take you straight to your floor.”

“Thank you.” Jenn nodded to Sam.

“And since you probably didn’t remember a word of that, I’ll show you the way!” Rosa volunteered.

Jenn very carefully suppressed a groan.

It took her the better part of fifteen minutes to dissuade Rosa without seeming overtly hostile, leaving xir just time enough to settle the things xi wouldn’t need to challenge the gym into place and to head back down to see about xir pokemon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUGH AUGH AUGH. I promise I neither forgot nor abandoned this; I just. Kinda. Didn't have internet for about a month. Wweh. Have a chapter, possibly another one later tonight as well.


	10. First Challenge: Viola

The gym was only a few blocks down from the pokemon center, an easy walk. Jenn reached it a minute before eight, but found xir way blocked by a tall, aggravated looking young woman.

“Hey! You up for a fast battle? I can see you don’t got any skates so--”

Jenn had had just about enough interruptions tonight, and cut her off. “Look, if you need 300 pyen that bad, I’ll just _give_ you it. I really don’t have time for this.”

The girl was taken aback, but grinned. “Heh! You’re a cold one. Sure, you can even have the skates anyway.” She passed the skates over, taking the crisp bills and skating off on her other pair of skates.

“... Who even ambushes someone on their way to a gym, so rude...” Jenn grumbled, hardly noticing the exterior of the building in xir rush to not get waylaid by something else trivial.

Leaning against one of the statues just inside the entrance, Kerry waved to Jenn. “Hey. If you’re going in for your badge tonight, Viola uses bug-types. Don’t get taken in, they’re a tricky bunch overall. I’m headed to bed.”

“Hey. Early morning again, huh?” Jenn grinned. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Always is. And no problem.” She walked away, waving with her back to Jenn like she was trying to not be a total spaz. Jenn snorted a little laugh and looked around. The entrance was essentially a gallery, showcasing several rare bug-types and a handful of smiling trainers. It only took xir a moment to locate the door further in, but xi was surprised to find xirself in a courtyard arena.

A blonde woman was bent over, camera at the ready, aimed at something Jenn couldn’t see. “Shh--” Jenn remained quiet, taking a few steps to the side. The camera snapped, and the pretty woman laughed. “Thanks for staying quiet, I’ve been trying to get that shot all day!”

“I’m glad you got your shot.” Jenn smiled tensely. “Ah- are you Viola?”

“That I am! How can I help you?”

“Well, I’m...” Xi faltered for a moment. “One of the latest crop of squirts, I guess.”

Viola chuckled. “Well then. It’s a little late in the day, most of the trainers on your level have already gone home. I’m afraid there isn’t much in the way of an appropriate warm up right now...”

“I’d call the forest a pretty good warmup.” Jenn couldn’t stop xirself from snarking.

That earned her a full laugh. “You’re confident for a first timer. I don’t see any harm in it, if you’re sure you’re ready. All healed up, right?”

“Yeah!” Jenn nodded.

“Alright! This is your first time taking on a gym?” When Jenn nodded, Viola grinned. “Alright. I’ll just use these two.” She held up the pokeballs. “You stay there. You’re probably used to casual battles now, but for a formal challenge, you need to stay in your designated trainer zone. It’ll keep you out of harm's way if the battle gets too enthusiastic.” With a wink, the older woman swept her way down to the other end of the arena.

Jenn was rather reminded of a tennis court and a soccer field, looking at it. Kerry’s warning to be wary had her on her toes - she’d planned to use Brienne for a clean sweep, but maybe that wasn’t really the best idea just now...

“Alright! First ‘mons out... now!” Viola called, giving Jenn just enough time to locate the right ball and toss it out. “... A Luvdisc? Where did you get a Luvdisc?” Viola frowned, before shrugging. “Surskit, Quick Attack!”

“Bellatrix, Take Down!” Jenn knew Bellatrix’s attack wouldn’t hit first, but she was bigger and stronger. Jenn was gambling on her being tougher too, and wasn’t disappointed - a nearby display said one more good hit should take out the annoying bug, while it’d take a critical to do the same for Bella.

“Again!”

“Sur...” The bug collapsed, recalled before more damage could be done.

“You don’t hold back! Are you going to change pokemon?”

Jenn nodded, recalling Bella. This was the first badge battle most trainers had, it was a safe bet that was the only nasty trick Viola had planned. “Alright Brienne, let’s show off that practice you put in!”

Viola sent out a Vivillion, not hesitating to let Jenn adjust this time. “Infestation!”

“Heat Wave!”

“Wh-what?!” The Vivillion hadn’t even had time to cry out before it was knocked unconscious. “... Are you _sure_ this was your first badge battle?”

“Yes?” Jenn blinked innocently.

“You didn’t even use half your pokemon, and hardly took any damage-” The older woman shook her head. “That was hardly a challenge for you at all! Honestly, I think you should try the alternate challenge, so it feels like you actually won it.” She started to laugh.

“... Do I get the badge either way?”

“Oh, of course, win or lose, I just want you to have a sense of accomplishment to go with it. I’ve never met such a prodigy.”

“Alright.” Jenn nodded. “Sounds... fun?”

“Good! I don’t get to break it out nearly often enough. Hmm... wouldn’t suit your Luvdisc. Who else did you bring?”

“Let’s see... Brienne,” the Fennekin chirped, dashing in a quick circle, “Sera...” Sera smoothed her dress as she appeared, yawning, “Chublord,” The Pikachu sighed, “and Tarvek.” The Scatterbug bristled.

“... Chublord? Well. I suppose it suits, but…”

“I can’t be serious all the time.” Shrug. “... Well, I could, but that wouldn’t be any fun.”

“... Right. Well, pick three of them.” Viola nodded.

“Hmm...” Jenn recalled Tarvek.

“Follow me.” Viola lead the way. Jenn shrugged at xir team and they followed. “Ah, they’ll need to return to their balls for this.” Jenn frowned, but recalled her team. Viola gestured to a machine with three slots for pokeballs. “Insert them here. They’ll be alright for a few minutes.” She laughed at Jenn’s slightly worried expression. That done, the Gym Leader lead the trainer to a platform over a rather large brick maze. “The goal is for you to direct your pokemon to each other and then the exit.”

Jenn broke into a grin. “Oh, this’ll be fun.” Xir pokemon shimmered into being at different points in the maze.

“You won’t have to shout, they’ll hear you just fine.”

“Alright.” Jenn frowned at the maze and the extra image, highlighting the pokemon inside, on a screen in front of xir. This... was probably intended to be difficult, xi realized. Above the field, a countdown started.

3...

2...

1...

Go!

* * *

Sera barely hesitated, closing her eyes and concentrating on the ebb and flow of Aura around her. Her dreads stood out and began to vibrate. Brienne was to her left, and the pikachu was somewhere further in... She reached out, prodding Jenn’s mind until her trainer relaxed and let her see from above. Ah.

Vision doubled, the Lucario dashed off, taking the turns so fast she had to jump from wall to wall to avoid crashing into them.

* * *

“Brienne, go right, and keep turning. Take the leftmost passage and follow it, take the right-hand turn when you come to the next intersection. Chublord, go straight ahead, don’t take that left-hand turn. When you come to the intersection, ignore the first passage and the next left-hand turn, take the middle passage and hang a right.”

Below, Sera almost crashed into a Beedrill buzzing angrily towards her on Viola’s command. Jenn weighed their options. Fighting moves would be ineffective... “Sera, Bone Rush.” It was better than most of the moves she could use, especially as the Lucario was fast enough to hit three times in quick succession. That was enough to knock out the bug, and Sera continued on, dodging and racing along easily.

“Brienne, right, left, then right again.” Jenn refocused as a differently-patterned Vivillion flew at Brienne. “Flame Charge, then Ember if that doesn’t-” It did it, alright. “Good. Keep going. Chublord, follow the path. Ignore the first right-hand turn, you want the second one.”

* * *

Sera leaned down to scoop Brienne up, dashing faster than the Fennekin could manage. She could feel the Surskit just a wall away, but they wouldn’t reach Chublord in time to help.

* * *

“Chub, use Thunder Shock now.” Jenn called calmly as the Pikachu and Surskit approached the same corner. Thoroughly confused, he hesitated, but saw movement coming around the corner. He obeyed, snarling in surprise.

Not enough time... “Back the way you came, duck into that route you ignored, then use it again as soon as you’re in there.” This time he didn’t hesitate, though the Surskit sent a stream of bubbles after him... not that that helped it, as his thundershock electrofied the now-soaked corridor.

“Sera, Endure. Brienne, Ember. Chublord, Thunder Shock, one last time.” The two attacks hit simultaneously, as Sera braced for the impact. As soon as the smoke cleared, the Lucario grabbed the Pikachu by the scruff of his neck and scrambled for the exit.

Viola blinked for a second or two. Jenn let the silence stretch until the tension was too much for xir to bear, then coughed.

Viola’s shoulders started to shake and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Jenn froze, until the laughter bubbled out of the gym leader. “I- I- wow!”

Jenn started to giggle as well.

“Alright, you _definitely_ earned this! You were fantastic, absolutely fantastic.” Grinning fit to crack her face, Viola pinned a small badge to Jenn’s bag. “Your team’s coordination is... prodigious! I’ve seen gym leaders who can’t handle a team that well, your Sera didn’t even need directions! With this Bug Badge, traded Pokemon up to level 30 will obey you with no problems. And here, as a personal gift, I want you to have this TM. It’s Infestation, which you’ve seen used. Your Tarvek ought to be able to make good use of it.” Despite Jenn’s attempt at protest, Viola pressed it into her hands. “You’re about as subtle as a hammer between the eyes, but it works for you. Great battle. Now go get your team healed up and get some rest.” Viola shooed Jenn out of the gym.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay yeah have a second chapter. This one showcases a few interesting things about Jenn that will be hammered home much later.


	11. Subtlety

“You look smug.” Rosa attempted to surprise Jenn, but this time xi was expecting someone to be at the door.

“Just a little.” Xi agreed, unable to conceal an unabashedly smug smirk, but didn’t slow down, heading for the pokemon check in desk this time. The nurse shooed the trainers off to go get a start on eating, promising to call Jenn over when xir pokemon were healed up.

Xi decided shaking Rosa off was a lost cause, and let the perky pinkette sit across from xir and chatter through the meal. Jenn concentrated on eating, nodding at appropriate intervals and volunteering nothing about xirself. The few times Rosa attempted to coax information from xir, xi delicately turned it back on Rosa. In next to no time, xir team joined them. Sera insisted on sitting at the table, the rest joined Rosa’s Pancham and Riolu sitting under and around the table.

“Pancham and Riolu, huh?” Jenn filled a slightly tense pause.

“Yeah! Like Princess Serenity.” Rosa grinned. “I’m still trying to get ahold of a Teddiursa but I’m not ready to hike cross-country just yet.”

Jenn laughed softly.

“Hey so... your Sera, how long have you guys been training together?” Rosa peered over at Jenn, open face curious.

“Oh, I hatched her when I was... nine or so.” Jenn shrugged - talking about Sera wasn’t talking about xirself, after all.

“Oh wow! So you helped her evolve?” Rosa perked up.

“Yes, xi helped me evolve.” Sera broke in, annoyed at being talked over.

“... Ehehe, sorry Sera.” Rosa nodded an apology. “I was just asking because I know it’s hard for Riolu to evolve, and was wondering if you ladies had any tips.”

“Oh!” Jenn blinked in surprise. “Um, well...”

“I was the happiest I’d ever been when I evolved.” Sera shrugged, taking a bite to cover her thinking.

“... Yeah, that. Just being fond of you isn’t enough, he needs to be happy and sure of himself.” Jenn nodded, scratching the back of xir head.

“... I didn’t tell you George was a boy.” Rosa stared incredulously at xir.

“We can feel him.” Jenn and Sera chorused.

“Wha-? Really?!” Rosa’s jaw nearly met the table.

Jenn raised xir hands in a shrug. "What?"

Sera sat her spoon down carefully, stood, and grabbed onto Jenn’s sleeve. “Kerry wanted you to get a checkup.”

“I- hey- wait a sec- hold on-” Jenn was dragged almost bodily from xir seat despite xir protests. 

* * *

 The doctor’s office was overwhelmingly eggshell white and futuristic-looking. The doctor, in contrast, was dark-skinned and relaxed, hair pulled neatly back in a bundle of locks. Jenn’s nerves were gratingly high, filling the entire room with the sort of tension caused by nails on a chalkboard.

Surprisingly, the first moments after taking a look at her and pricking a toe was a question, not a suggestion. “Mm, do you own a poison-type? Muk, something comparable...”

“No?” Jenn raised an eyebrow, peering at the doctor in confusion.

“That’s… Hrm. There are worrying amounts of toxins in your blood panels. Would you know why that might be?”

Xi shook xir head.

“... Where we used to live, there was an amount of pollution that was normal where we were but may be higher than the standard here.” Sera broke in.

“Aha. Right then.” he frowned at the panels again. “Where was it that you used to live? I might have to make a few calls…”

Jenn and Sera looked at each other.

_Should we? It’s... pretty unbelievable._ Jenn worried.

_There might be lingering levels there even today, but it’s massively unlikely._ Sera shrugged.

_If anything it might be even more down... Well, nothing for it_ , Jenn supposed. “Uh... Illiana?”

The doctor looked at them both with a sigh. “All right. So. Chelating those out, that’s the first thing to do. Also—you’ve a lot of scars, how often do you seek medical attention?”

“When it’s something xi can’t handle.” Sera is carefully not facepalming.

“... have they not implemented the Center system in Illiana yet?” The doctor’s eyebrow slowly raised.

“Not while we were there.” That’s true at least, Jenn was glad to note.

“So you know, coming to see a doctor is free, so please don’t hesitate to see one here in Kalos.” The doctor looked over the readouts. “Pressure’s a little high, but you’ll be travelling a lot, so not much need to fix that…”

“White coat syndrome.” Sera supplied.

He had to take a moment to look it up. “Ah. Iatrophobia?” He frowned for a moment at his tablet, then looked up. “…Any others I should know about?”

“Trypanophobia and arachnophobia.” Jenn answered that much for xirself at least.

“Fair enough. Eat more protein, halve the carbs. And so far you’ve had your vaccines for…” He swiped back to her file. “...The hell are those diseases?” The doctor’s forehead wrinkled as he tried to remember if he’d ever heard of any of them. “‘Hepatitis,’ that’ll be something with the liver....Right, yes, I’m getting the pneuma…”

Jenn’s expression changed fractionally before Sera preemptively smacked xir upside the head. Jenn rubbed the back of xir head but seemed otherwise unaffected.

“... Okay, at least your calcium and magnesium intake seem to be in order.” The doctor noted, carefully not smiling.

Jenn blew a raspberry, which did wonders for xir tenseness at least. “That or I already had brain damage.”

The pneumatic went THUNK and there didn’t even seem to be a needle there. “Don’t count it out yet, I haven’t scanned your brain yet. Seemed a touch premature.”

“Fair enough.” Jenn shrugged.

“I… Would like you to stay here a week, to make sure you won’t have any adverse reactions to the treatments where you can’t get medical help. I can’t force you, of course…”

“That makes sense to me, as long as you’re not saying I shouldn’t leave the building.”

“Huh? Heavens no! Nothing’s broken, you’re not in danger if you move, you’re not putting anyone else in danger, and if something happens, I’m sure your therapy ‘mon friend can bring you back here.”

The pair exchanged another look, this one slightly confused. “Right.”

“Ah? Oh, are you not registered?” the doctor addressed Sera.

“No, no I am not.” Sera confirmed.

Bloop. “Well, I can take care of that shortly.” There was a ding from over on the other side of the room. “Ah. That’s the antidote course. One moment.”

They watched him, Jenn much calmer this time.

The result wasn’t even a bottle, more like one of those pill reminder things that got sold for about a buck at most pharmacies. There were only five boxes, marked one through five, and each one had a slightly differently colored pill. “Take them in order, one a day. If your stomach tends to get upset, have it with food.”

"Ah, alright." Jenn nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuki, one of the several beta readers, contributed our very dorky doctor here. 
> 
> I haven't so much had writer's block as another character and story plopped into my head and demanded attention and I didn't want to just drop unedited chapters in here. So happy new year y'all, hope ya enjoyed.


	12. Lazy Day

After an early awakening, Jenn had decided on a relaxed day. They ate a fast breakfast, Jenn checked xir gear, and then Jenn made xir way to the marketplace with Sera and Brienne in tow.

“Candy?” Brienne tilted her head back to look up at her trainer.

“Eh... a little bit, but not as much as yesterday.” Jenn tugged on xir tunic shirt, trying to settle the fabric more comfortably. It felt like it was trying to flip up constantly, probably due to the contrasting colors being actual sewn blocks instead of just printed the way xi was used to. The clothier had deviously suggested a colorway that resembled an ordinary Lucario.

“Fenne...” Brienne sighed.

“Hmm... First order of business is a hat.” Jenn mused.

“... A hat?” Sera started to grin widely.

Jenn glanced at Sera, raising an eyebrow and smirking. “... Ve iz not tekking it de old-fashioned vey.”

“Awwwr...”

“Anyways.” Jenn sighed. “I’ll be a lobster if I don’t get a big one and some sunscreen, so help me look.” Xi picked out a basket, a nice and sturdy blanket, and even managed to find a rather nice lunch among the stalls - not that xi was hungry yet - before they found a hat stall. One white, floppy-brimmed hat later, and the trio set out along the shorter route available.

“Hmm... Looks like a good place to do a little ace trolling before lunch. Sound fun, ladies?” Jenn grinned down at Brienne and Sera. Brienne ran a loop around them, chanting her name, and Sera nodded.

A few hundred pyen the richer, and quite a bit hungrier, Jenn spread xir blanket out, called out the rest of xir team, and dug in. Though xi’d planned to work on language lessons for the group, the warm afternoon sunlight and general quiet soon lulled xir to sleep.

* * *

  
Jenn awoke to the familiar feeling of something soft, heavy, and generally bipedal trying to climb into xir lap. Without opening xir eyes, xi scooped the little one up and was rewarded with a startled yelp. Xi opened one eye, and grinned down at the little Riolu. "Where'd you come from, huh?" Xi looked up to see if there was anyone she might belong to, and found xirself staring into a sea of curious red eyes.

Well. It was a rather small sea, only a dozen or so Riolu, but xi could feel more coming.

"Oh! Well hello to all of you!" Xi grinned.

"... you're taking this well in stride." Sera tilted her head.

"Like I didn't wake up to you and the pups staring at me."

"Four of us."

"They're happy to see us, aren't you?" Xi tickled the Riolu's stomach.

"Roo!" The little Riolu barked and squirmed happily, cuddling against Jenn to escape xir fingers.

"That sounds like a yes to me! So it’s all good.” The young trainer nodded confidently.

A somewhat familiar, and very worried-sounding, voice broke in. “Verne, use--”

“--Oh for fuck’s sake.” Sera leaped over the small crowd, landing in front of Xavier, putting her paws to her hips and leaning up to get as close to the blonde young man’s face as she could manage. “We’re fine, leave the pups alone.”

“--bwah?” The confusion spread to Xavier’s Froakie, Verne, who looked from the scene, to Xavier, back to the scene.

Jenn looked up, shifting to kneel so xi could look over the Riolus’ heads, still cradling the littlest one. “Oh! Hi, c’mon over!” The pack of Riolu started to croon worriedly. “Aw, it’s okay. He’s nice.”

Sera crouched down, offering a paw to Verne. Verne blew a raspberry at her and hopped behind Xavier.

“... Are you _sure_ you don’t need help? You’re... pretty surrounded.”

Jenn looked around, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, I’m sure, they’re curious is all. If they were gonna attack they’d’ve done it while I was asleep.”

“How are you so sure?” Xavier raised an eyebrow in return, crossing his arms.

“They... don’t feel threatening, like, at all? This silly one wanted a warm place to nap.” Xi nodded at the one cuddled into xir chest, already snoring softly.

“They don’t?” He tilted his head, not entirely sure they were looking at the same scene. “... You should probably stop cuddling wild Pokemon, that’s a good way to get hurt.”

“Her climbing into my lap is what woke me up in the first place.” Jenn shrugged.

“So being surrounded by _wild Pokemon_ didn’t wake you up, but something crawls into your lap and your first instinct is to hug it? Do you have any kind of survival instincts?!” Xavier demanded, eyes a little wild with worry.

“Well yeah? If they’d been trying to sneak up on me, I’d’ve heard sounds that didn’t have any weight behind them and that would’ve woken me up.”

Xavier gaped at xir, completely speechless for a moment. “Are- Are you a wizard? Is that it?”

“A wizard? I think you mean a witch, and only kind of. Granny hadn’t finished teaching me.” Jenn giggled.

Xavier continued to stare at xir like xi’d grown a second head.

“... Why don’t you come over here and sit down? It’s easier to feel it when you’re in the middle of it instead of outside.” When Xavier failed to move, Jenn turned xir attention to the Riolu. “Hey guys, make a hole. It’s okay, he won’t hurt you.” Xi tilted xir head, listening to the current of distrust running through them. “I promise! No need to be scared, you’re all much faster than he is anyways.”

A couple broke off from staring between Jenn and Xavier to dash around the group, barking their agreement. Slowly, the group separated out enough Xavier could make it through the ring of almost two dozen Riolu, though their eyes locked onto him mistrustfully.

Xavier slowly approached, still a little ginger about his chances. Brienne spotted Verne, and dashed over to run around him, chanting her name again. Sera sighed and started herding the smaller pokemon in too.

“There, see? Nothing to be scared of for any of you. C’mon and sit down.” Holding the sleeping Riolu in one arm, Jenn patted the ground next to xir. Several of the Riolu took that as an invitation for them too, crowding onto the blanket curiously. Xavier stared as the horde of Riolu settled in around them and their teams. “They’re just curious. You really can’t feel it?”

“Sort of?” He shrugged. “This hokey searching your feelings stuff doesn’t seem that useful compared to a good regimen and type advantage.”

“... Seriously? It didn’t occur to you that I’m doing both in the first place? I realize it comes off as bullshittery, but if I couldn’t hear and feel Sera, I would’ve had a much harder time connecting to everybody else.”

“‘Hear’ Sera?”

“... How the fuck else would I have taught her to talk? It’s a lot harder with Brienne because I _can’t_ hear her.”

Xavier raised an eyebrow. “I’m still not sure what you mean.”

“... Lucario are natural telepaths. Hell, Riolu are able to project their emotions, and with enough practice they become telepathic too. I could hear Sera in my head a long time before she could form words easily.” Jenn gestured outwards, as though xi had vibrating dreadlocks of xir own to manipulate Aura with.

“Oh.” Xavier’s expression remained confused, but more open.

“Yeah. I guess that’s part of why we have such a good relationship. It’s not really... hard to teach them to speak human languages, either. Just time consuming.” Xi sighed.

“Caaaandy?” Brienne tilted her head up, giving Jenn her best puppy eyes.

“Like that. Positive reinforcement, mostly.” Jenn tossed a candy to the Fennekin.

“I suppose if you style yourself a living saint, such things must come second-nature.”

“What?” Jenn blinked, completely baffled.

Xavier cut off the patronizing look before it began. “Where did you say you were from again? Mars?”

Xi barely caught xirself from spilling the beans. “Sinnoh? We were pretty far out though...”

“I’m sure. Well. Not sure about Sinnoh, but around here, the Pale One is a pretty obvious iconography. Xi’s all about the place, in monasteries, manor chapels, stained glass -- Point is it’s not a look you want to evoke…” He gave a lemony look at the crowd of Riolu. “Or. Maybe you do.”

“... The Pale One?” What. What was _this_ bullshit. It can’t possibly be related to that mura- The snap as Jenn pieced it together was almost audible.

“Indeterminate gender, black Lucario, forms bonds with Pokemon as easily as breathing? Supposed patron saint of Trainers?”

Jenn groaned and flopped backwards, one arm thrown over xir eyes. Sera started to snicker.

“... I suppose you have the look for it, all except the hair.”

Sera flopped over Jenn, howling with laughter at her trainer’s distress and startling the Riolu who had been napping in Jenn’s arms. Jenn pressed both hands to xir face, muttering to xirself and trying to stop wanting to smack people who had been dead for-- for-- A sob caught at the back of xir throat. Sera abruptly stopped laughing, ears drooping.

“... Oh.” Xavier paused, looking around a little. “L-listen, I’m sure there’s someone who can- I mean-”

Sera scootched over, patting Jenn’s head, and Brienne climbed onto xir stomach, curling up and whining. The Riolu looked at him and this time there was definitely menace in their gazes.

“Uh…” He could definitely feel it now. “I… Didn’t know you didn’t know. I’m not sure why it’s breaking you up so bad, but I’m sorry.”

“It’s- ah. It’s complicated.” Jenn finally managed to force out, voice thick. “You don’t want to know.”

“... If you say so. So how about that model, Natar or whoever? They say she stormed Viola’s at one.”

“Ah, she’s a friend of mine. I wouldn’t be surprised, she probably outdid me, even.” Sera and the Riolu relaxed as Jenn’s voice slowly returned to normal.

“Hm. Rumor had it she’s won a lot of Contests.” He flicked a pebble and watched it sail over the heads of the pack. Three or four ran off after it.

“Yeah, she has.”

“Are you interested?”

“Not particularly. I’m good at acting but it’s not really up my alley. I’d rather straight up win.”

“Not in contests,” He replied, sparing xir a look.

Jenn looked up at him, confused for a second before xir eyebrows shot up, disappearing under xir bangs. “Uh. Maybe?”

“Fair.” That was a dodge, but the question was rather personal. “I hope you remain good friends, no matter what else.”

Xi smiled and blushed, which really didn’t do much for xir appearance, what with xir face being blotchy from the crying.

“I don’t suppose any of you would be interested in traveling with me?” Xavier asked the crowd, clearly not expecting anyone to answer the affirmative.

Most of them looked confused, actually. Sera sat up and translated. Several then looked curious but cautious. “I’d say that’s a maybe.”

“Heh. I suppose I shouldn’t expect anything more, I just arrived here.”

“Yeah. You’d probably have decent luck if you hang around for a few days and bring food and maybe something to read. Let them get used to your presence and Aura.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Meantime, though, I want to see how fast that match was. No one’s ever seen Viola at full strength yet…”

“Kerry’s?” Jenn confirmed.

“Yeah.” Xavier stood up. “Later.”

“Later!” Jenn waved.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And FINALLY we get some hints as to the meat of the plot.


	13. Mysteries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's almost entirely exposition and setting information. Hopefully it's still entertaining as well.

“Okay, what the fuck is the Pale One, and why didn’t you warn me.” Jenn didn’t bother with a preamble, sitting heavily on xir bed and staring holes into Kerry.

Kerry crossed her arms and grumbled. “It’s this stupid symbolic story about how the Aura Guardians and pokemon training came into existence, and I didn’t tell you because it’s stupid and wouldn’t have helped.” She fiddled with her hair so it wouldn’t press against the back of her head.

“Well not telling me didn’t help  _either_ , because _apparently_ I’m fucking recognizable by  _acting normal_.”

“... Why, what happened?”

Jenn spread xir hands, an annoyed expression only emphasizing xir erratic Aura. “I took a stroll down Route 22 for a picnic, fell asleep, got surrounded by Riolu--”

Kerry held up a hand. “Aaaand stop.”

Jenn looked at Kerry expectantly, mouth shutting with a click.

Kerry took a deep breath in and a short breath out. “Most people, even most Aura Guardians, don’t get surrounded by Riolu by taking a nap in the wild. That’s like.” She took a moment to think. “You see that sort of thing in children’s movies to show someone’s purity of heart?”

“...  _seriously_?” Disbelief and aggravation left Jenn’s voice a little squeaky.

Kerry pulled into a wince and she couldn’t look Jenn in the eyes. “Yeah. It’s a serious concern sometimes.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me that it was weird the entire time we were traveling together and it kept happening around us?” Jenn flipped xir hands down, palm up, towards Kerry in exaggerated exasperation.

“I figured you already knew,” Kerry trailed off, curling a little further into herself.

“In  _our_ time, Sera and her pups were the only ones not hellbent on killing all of humanity!” Xi flung xir arms out, as though defining the load of bullshit all of this was, xir Aura flaring to fill the room.

“Which is why I’m surprised you didn’t freak the hell out when it happened the first time!” Kerry’s hands started to mirror Jenn’s, though she still kept a tight cap on her aura.

Jenn rubbed xir face. “If I don’t immediately have a panic attack I’m actually halfway decent at concealing my reactions, plus  _you_ didn’t panic and I assumed you knew what you were doi--” Xi cut off, eyes widening in livid understanding. “You bitch. You thought it was just you.”

Kerry’s grimace came back, and she had to hunt for the words for a minute. “... I already get treated with kid gloves, so I try not to let it get out. I usually travel alone.”

Jenn sighed, letting xir head sink into xir hands, reigning xir Aura in. Xi was overreacting to this. “Right. Okay,” Xi took a deep breath. “So I’m a fucking fairy tale princess/religious figure. What else do I need to know?”

Kerry took a breath, one arm under her bust, one arm resting her hand on her forehead. “Who did you talk to? It’s fairly obvious someone figured it out.”

“Xavier. The dark-skinned blond.” Jenn rubbed xir eyes with another groan, pressing the heels of xir hands against them carefully.

It took Kerry a moment. “Red cap? Big doofy sunglasses? Green eyes? Froakie?”

“Yeah, him, he was asking if we were an item,” Xi flicked xir fingers away from xir face dismissively.

“Ah, that’s why he was talking about us being friends when I overheard him,” Kerry held up a finger.

“... Oh good gods. What was he saying?” Jenn’s eyes focused on Kerry, wide with concern.

“Not much of consequence,” Kerry said, thinking it over. “Word got out you’d beat the gym leader in five minutes a match, he was talking about how you were friends with me and seemed nice enough. Apparently everyone’s already heard I won. Nothing else, really.”

Jenn snorted. "Oh joy. I'm going to be beating them off with a stick, aren't I."

“Beating who with a what now?” Kerry asked.

"It's a phrase meaning I'm going to get so much unwanted attention I'll have to resort to physical violence to remove said attention,” Jenn’s tone didn’t really invite further discussion as to why that was common enough phenomenon as to have an idiom attached to it.

“Oh. I don’t think so, actually,” Kerry bobbed her head from side to side while she thought it over. “You might get better service, but usually a prodigy is marked, not sought. That said, five years’ experience is showing.”

"Ah... I... Okay, one thing at a time,” Xi shook xir head, frowning down at xir lap. “What's the Pale One story, so I can maybe avoid more people thinking I'm pretending to be a vastly exaggerated version of myself?"

Kerry took another deep breath, followed by a short one. “So. The story goes that in the withering time, Arceus was to make a rebirth of the world, sweeping away all the past and starting over. Humans were included in this number, to be left to die, of, as current evidence seems to say, killed by pokemon. But, in compassion, a black Lucario descended and announced to the Pale One a miracle: three eggs, three children would be given unto xir, the pure of heart, to give hope to humanity.

“It’s said xi chose the three most worthy, the Knight, the Lady, and the Mage, the first Aura Guardians.” She thought about it. “Something like that, anyway.”

"... Okay I can... kind of see that. I had three friends who were close to Sera's pups."

Kerry looked up and away from Jenn, shaking her head. “You’re not gonna like the next part.”

"What's the next part." Jenn sighed and pinched the bridge of xir nose.

“Seeing the bond that the Pale One and the Guardians had made with Pokemon, and knowing the Pale One shared a purer bond with the Lucario, The Pale One was taken into the heavens, there to reside in the utopic society of the gods. Usually this is taken by historians to mean the Pale One died.”

"... Utopic society is awfully damned specific though," Jenn groaned. "Somebody must have figured out it was you know who."

“Some god, obviously,” Kerry nodded

"Fucking fuck on a fuckstick."

“Yeah. See I figured who needs more bullshit?” She shrugged. “What was I gonna do, bow down and worship? Come on.”

"Well good on you but apparently acting normal for me and trying to explain that I could-- Aura use isn't common, right?"

“Never was,” Kerry affirmed. “Too much work if you haven’t the knack of it.”

"Yeah. I'm used to being the biggest game in town but... how hard is it to tell that the circle of puppies not attacking the napping person is not being threatening?" Xi flung xir hands out again in exasperation.

Kerry nodded along, folding her arms at her waist. “It’s a major assumption that the primary way to interact with pokemon is to fight them. It’s sad, actually.”

“... Yeah, yeah it is.” Jenn flopped back on the bed, barely grunting when Sera flopped onto xir stomach. “Okay, so just... acting like a reasonable fucking person with the sense to say ‘this thing is fighting me because I cornered it, I should leave it alone’ is going to mark me out as fucking weird. Great.”

“Not ‘weird’, ‘good at reading a situation’.”

“... Is there a difference at my level?” Jenn glared upwards at nothing in particular.

“Quite a bit,” Kerry said, though it was a bit of a struggle to say so. “Usually people starting out have a bit of bravado, able to go outside alone for the first time, think themselves invincible. Well shot of that, you are, thank the gods.”

“When I said I’m used to things trying to kill me, I meant it.”

“Mm, it was... unpleasant.” Sera nodded.

“Mm.” Kerry tapped her chin. “I suppose it’s that, and complacency. You see a lot of pokemon around you all the time, here. But you don’t see the work that went in to it.”

“Huh?” That at least got xir to stop glaring into the aether.

Kerry gestured her head right. “Look out that window there, what do you see?”

Jenn had to push Sera off of xir to look, but did as instructed. “... Uh... a town?”

Kerry sighed and came up to the window. “Look closer. That delivery down there, for instance, has a few fighting types helping it along. There’s a bug catcher helping with pollination. Over there, rock-types are maintaining the road--in almost every way you can think of, Pokemon are part of the everyday lives of humans.”

“... That is so fucking bizarre.”

“I suppose it’s a change from them trying to commit human genocide,” Kerry admitted.

“Yeah. Like. If we were outside the ‘lectric fence? I had a knife long as my arm for  _starters_.” Jenn gestured towards xir forearm.

“... That’s a short sword, not a knife.”

“Really? Granny said it was a hunting knife. There again, surgical steel hunting knife.”

“Quoting my grandfather, ‘A proper shortsword should be, from hilt to tip, about the length of the intended wielder’s forearm…’”

“Huh.” Jenn nodded. “Okay, makes sense.”

“I grew out of all my old ones.”

“Yeah, it’s a decent knife for me now.”

“As may be.” Kerry sat down. “If you want to keep one, it won’t be stared at twice.”

“Well that’s good. Anything  _else_ I should know about that’s like to get me stared at like I grew a third, uglier head?” The demigirl snarked.

“Pokemon that know human language are considered unusually intelligent or messengers of the gods.” She paused to consider. “Not that you should stop teaching Brienne, actually.”

“... I. Okay, yeah, I could see that. Animals that could speak human languages were considered either unusually intelligent or to have very good language centers in their brains. I dunno about that whole messenger thing, isn’t that likely to make Sera and I really pop?”

“Hehehe. Sera doesn’t stand out much in Kalos, actually. There’s a shrine near Shalour, dedicated to the Pale One, you’ll see what I mean if you head that way.”

“There’s a-- I-- oh dear. Is  _that_ why Gurkinn was in such a tetch at me?” Jenn stuck xir tongue out at the thought.

Kerry growled in distaste at the mention of Gurkinn. “Gurkinn, as far as I can tell, is tetchy at anyone who’s less than thirty. Viola doesn’t like him much.”

“Heh. I’m surprised anyone does, really. I feel sorry for his granddaughter and I haven’t even met her.”

“Uh. She was the girl with the skates. You didn’t notice the aura?”

“I was a little distracted and was a bit more interested in Speedy and Lucky there.” Xi shrugged, absently petting Sera’s head.

“... Is that their actual names, or are you just being facetious?” Kerry asked.

Jenn looked a little confused, tilting xir head at Kerry. “I just got a glance at their overall natures, those seemed the obvious way to differentiate them?”

“Mm. Okay. Note most people can’t pick natures by looking at their Auras,” Kerry said, nodding.

Jenn blinked up at Kerry and frowned softly. “... Okay. And a few more questions: Why is it obvious to you what I’m having trouble processing? It shouldn’t be that obvious, I don’t think. And what the hell happened that pokemon went from trying to wipe out humanity to helping?”

Kerry sighed. “I’m a ward of Sinnoh, technically. Should have been for over ten years. That’s not how it happened, but that’s what should have happened. So I have an-- odd-- perspective on things. And if you didn’t like the time bullshit, you’re gonna like this even less: Near as anyone can figure, what changed things was you.”

Jenn stared silently at Kerry, eyes too wide and completely silent as xi tried to absorb that. Sera gently poked xir shoulder. Jenn didn’t react.

“Or rather, you and people like you, who bonded and grew connections to young pokemon, usually telepaths or aura users.” Kerry shrugged. “I figure at least some of your exploits and those of the First Guardians are conjoined with dozens of other such local heroes.”

Jenn began to swear loudly and colorfully and let xirself flop back on the bed, pulling a pillow over xir face.


	14. A Guarded Encounter

The week was a whirlwind of referrals, strange procedures, and--xi was now aware--pokemon. Pokemon everywhere around xir, especially during the procedures, working closely with doctors and each other despite being different kinds and types. On the one hand, it heightened xir anxiety, but on the other it made things fascinating enough xi could concentrate on that instead.

Everything was going fine, until one of the psychologists quietly produced two copies of a small sheet of questions and asked Sera and Jenn to fill one copy out each. Separately.

Jenn’s blood ran cold when xi realized what the form was getting at, and cautiously filled it out, downplaying and discounting xir feelings out of habit. Sera knew xir well enough to give the real answers.

... Either way, Jenn tested positive for PTSD.

“Hm. You’re having issues coping with some past trauma, but you’re functional. I’d like to assign a fully-trained therapy ‘mon to help counteract the anxiety and other effects.”

“I... uh.” Jenn was surprised. “... Okay?”

“We might also prescribe medications, but usually people respond better to the ‘mon.” They thought for a moment.

Sera piped up. “Xi does have an anxiety issue, and so far we haven’t really put much of a dent in it.” Jenn nodded, a bit embarrassed.

“Mm. All right. Let’s get your new friend sorted before we continue.” Jenn’s stomach chose that exact moment to growl.

“Probably a good idea.”

* * *

After a good meal and a short wait, a girl stepped in. She was tall, lithe, and had the look of a scholar about her, but her hands were calloused and her eyes sharper than she let on. Sera immediately sat up, turning to look at the girl, and Jenn’s gaze followed curiously.

The girl’s Aura was as bright as Jenn had seen anyone else’s, but at the same time, more contained than even Kerry’s. She looked right back at Jenn, and blinked for a moment before nodding. “Ah. You’re why the psychologist called.” It wasn’t a question. “Good evening. I’m Mage Syne.” With that, she rather primly sat down, moving her robes so they wouldn’t bunch up under her.

"... Hi. I’m Jenn." Jenn noted the girl's aura, but neither confirmed nor denied. Brienne had snuggled down into a fluff pile on xir lap, and sleepily yawned at the voices.

_< You don't need to worry so much.>_ Sera sighed at her friend.

“Oh! You’ve been near the shrine already,” Syne said, perking up a little as she seemed to recognize Sera. “... But… That’s not one that I remember. The visit must have been some time ago.”

“I’m not a ‘that’,” Sera grumbled, “And we haven’t been near any shrines.”

“We visited the Tower of Mastery briefly when we arrived in Kalos, but we moved on pretty quickly. Sera and I have been friends since she hatched.”

Syne paused, mouth closed for a moment, wheels turning a little. “I apologize, I had attempted to avoid a gender as I wasn’t certain--” She paused as the door slid open.

The fellow who walked in stood a little shorter than Jenn xirself, though they could see eye to eye easily enough. He had blond hair which he didn’t particularly bother to do anything with, letting it fall as it may. With an expensive-looking red suit, even given the standards Jenn had come to expect, and a slightly bored expression, and the pair of blue-vested Pokemon following him like Duckletts, Jenn had to wonder how much of a shit he genuinely gave.

Sera looked at the approaching group, but Jenn didn’t bother to take xir eyes off of Syne until they were close enough it was obvious the group was coming towards them.

“Huh. The Guardians, too?” the newcomer asked.

“We do provide for those in need,” Syne replied.

Jenn rolled xir eyes. “Did you even bother to read the case study before you walked in?”

“I did,” Syne said. “It makes for a somewhat difficult decision on the part of the staff, which is why several candidates were brought.”

The newcomer clearly felt that dialogue right in the heart. “Listen, you, she doe-”

“Stop there, please--” Syne started, but at the same time Jenn spoke up.

“Shut the hell up and--” Jenn had kept xir Aura under wraps until then, but the moment it became apparent the newcomer had in fact, not even skimmed the brief, stood and unleashed xir inner bonfire.

“--Oh. I’m sorry, by all means,” Syne said, voice slightly hollow, letting Jenn continue.

“--and come back when you’re capable of acting in a professional manner and _reviewing cases before you become involved._ ” Jenn nodded briefly to Syne before fixing xir pale gaze back on the newcomer, letting the anger pour out. Xi’d been anticipating someone misgendering xir, but until then had been pleasantly surprised. Jenn was cold and quiet - if xir Aura hadn’t been large enough to fill the space on its own, xi wouldn’t have even caused a scene.

Syne’s expression didn’t change, but the containment came off, slowly building in pressure. POF went the sound of something breaking out of containment; a small Riolu matched the blossoming strength Syne was letting out. She smiled. “I’m actually a little worried. I know you’ve had plenty of contact with Riolu and its line before now, and since I don’t know the exact history, I’m not sure one would be best--”

Syne paused, her smile suddenly freezing. Outside the center and more than a little distance away, a sun-like flare of Aura burst into life.

If anything, the sight of the Riolu caused Jenn to rein in xir aura, crouching down carefully to put xirself closer to eye level with it. Not long after, the other Aura died to something more resembling a bonfire, but Syne still dry-swallowed and one or two people turned their heads this way and that.

The rather hasty therapy companion trainer rapidly backed the hell away from a presence that was only barely not murderous, and then felt the rather more upset presence at the door. Whimpering, he turned around to see nearly six feet of muscle and woman rather thoroughly blocking one of the doorways. “... You’re tall.”

“ _Really?_ I hadn’t noticed,” Kerry replied, looking down at him. “Is there an issue?”

“N-no! I was just leaving!”

“Good.” Kerry did not get in his way as he bolted. Once he’d gotten out of sight, she slumped down with a sigh, presence becoming small. “I really don’t like doing that.”

“Thank you, Kerry.” Jenn smiled tightly up at her, anger slowly ebbing. Of course, now there was no point to hiding xir Aura, xi didn’t bother, instead smiling and staying still to let the Riolu investigate xir at his own pace.

“Uh, Jenn? Control,” Kerry said, gesturing around the center, where most of the patrons had employed duck-and-cover.

Jenn blinked, taking that in. Xi expected angry glares, the obvious fear had xir quickly tamping down on xir presence. “... Rrrrright.”

Syne paused and looked between the two of them and quickly tried to get herself more in order even than she had been. That Syne succeeded at all was amazing, carefully standing, offering a salute and a bow to Kerry, then sitting back down. “Uh-- I should. I should offer these to you. Both! Right.”

Some things never changed, it seemed, as Syne handed over two cards, one each to Kerry and Jenn. The text faded in and out of existence briefly, staying longest where Jenn held it directly.

Kerry took the proffered card and stared at it for a long moment. “Is this a request on the part of the Guardians, or a… _Request_?”

“Wh-” Syne held up her hands. “W-we couldn’t possibly compel anything like that, but, you know, I figured you two might like to come by, since you both seem to have a knack for Aura and all…”

“While I thank you for the kindness, I’m not sure I can accept such a generous invitation.” Kerry pocketed the card. “If my situation changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

Jenn examined the blank card curiously, but let Kerry take the lead. "I think I’d like to come by, if only to see things, but I don’t want to cut my challenge short, either. I just got started.”

“W-well, I figured. You might want to _see_ what’s been going on and. Stuff,” Syne trailed off.

Kerry pinched the bridge of her nose and prayed to whatever gods she believed in that Syne wouldn’t start blurting stupid shit.

“Yeah, exactly...” Jenn nodded slowly, peering at Syne puzzledly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m- I’m perfectly okay, but-- oh heavens, I’ve forgotten to introduce you to Jacinth, I’m sorry--”

“Ah, that’s his name, is it?” Xi smiled brightly, offering a hand to Jacinth, palm down with xir fingers loosely curled inwards. “Hello, Jacinth.”

The Riolu sniff sniff sniffed. < _Hello, miss. >_

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jenn.”

Jacinth nuzzled Jenn’s hand. < _I’m here to help! >_

“So I’ve been told.” Jenn took the cue to rub between and behind his ears.

Syne blinked, and cleared her throat slightly and tried not to look embarrassed about what was happening right in front of her.

“May I pick you up?” Xi left the ‘so we stop embarrassing your trainer’ unsaid.

Jacinth nodded. < _That will be all right. >_

Jenn scooped him up gently and sat down on the couch again, settling him in xir lap and coaxing Brienne and Sera over as well.

Syne shook her head. “Um. Could. We talk? Upstairs maybe? Or somewhere not the main lobby.”

“Uh... alright?” Jenn glanced at Kerry. Their room?

Kerry nodded.

* * *

“Okay what the hell is this about?” Kerry said, once Syne had been packed uncomfortably into the room.

“Yes, that.” Jenn nodded, staring Syne down with those small, pale eyes.

“W-well, it’s… Obvious, isn’t it? A-- A slightly crude, but powerful Aura, clearly directly descended from a Lucario’s style. Pale skin, and a refusal of gender. Aura eyes. Culture shock, with a high concentration of pollutants-- these are close to what many of the Knightly Order think of as might be the ‘historic’ Pale One… I- I’m sorry. This might not be the utopia you were led to believe it is!” Syne shook her head.

Jenn simply stared for a moment. Fucking hell, how was xi this recognizable just by... being xirself? “... I was never promised a utopia. There was simply a roar, and ripples, and nothingness.”

“Y- you weren’t? … A. A roar of time--”

Sera broke in with a wicked little smirk, wrapping an arm around Jenn. “All because dumbass here stepped between me and a man with a gun.”

“... And he thought that would _work_?”

“Yes, he did.” Jenn winced.

“... Oh. Oh, I see. It. It was never _your_ compassion,” Syne said, looking at Sera.

“... Duh?” Sera blinked at her.

“It’s- Well, when it’s an article of faith that you’re some sort of messenger, you. You have to.” Syne walked over to one of the beds and flopped face down.

Jenn looked at Kerry a little helplessly. “Fuck. I don’t even know what you think I’ve _done_ , or that she’s done, or anything really. We’re in the dark as to what you expect of us.”

“... I think that gives you an opportunity, Dame.”

“I’m supposed to be a **Mage** ,” came the muffled voice of Syne. “I-in training anyway.”

Jenn stared at Kerry expectantly. What exactly did that mean?

“Really? You do seem a natural fit for the Knights,” Kerry said. “You put it together in record time and didn’t have the benefit of actually feeling xir drop in on you from the sky.”

Jenn continued to stare a hole in Kerry's head.

“... Knights are investigators and informants. Mages keep shrines and speak to the gods. Ladies- lately Lords, too- are the militant Guardians.”

"Ooooh." Jenn nodded slowly. Xi really didn't know even the basics, did xi?

“... My Lady. I must go with you,” Syne said. “I know you are helping xir but xi does not know--”

“Absolutely _not_ ,” Kerry interrupted, sharply. “You recognized xir quickly. How much faster will that go if we have a frocked Guardian tagging along everywhere!?”

Jenn looked between the two, then shuddered at the thought of lots of people recognizing xir. "... I agree that I don't know squat, but you're already looking at me like the sun rises out of my ass. That's bad enough, but what of the people who would assume I was pulling a con? Or worse, the people who would expect me--or Sera--to be as inhumanly perfect as I'm sure your faith says I am?"

“Additionally, you might not realize what xi needs to know and what xi doesn’t,” Kerry said. “Even given a distant knowledge, you share Kalosian biases.”

Jenn nodded. "And, frankly, you'd spend a great deal of time backpedaling past step zero because my base assumptions are so different from yours."

“And what about you? And Sinnoh?” Syne said, finally sitting up. “You’re no differ--”

“Don’t start,” Kerry warned. Her hands went from flat to loose fists. “Please. All that is necessary to know is that I do not think like a typical person from Sinnoh, or even a typical person from Lake Acuity.”

Jenn reached out with xir Aura unthinkingly, automatically moving to calm and comfort Kerry.

Kerry tensed up even further before realizing what was going on and taking a deep breath. “Your offers were both made with kindness. Thank you, Mage Syne.”

“... Understood, Lady. I’ll take my leave.”

Jenn glanced at Kerry, Aura retreating. “Yes, thank you. I _would_ like to talk later, but in private.”

“I do have a holocaster, though I’m not sure how private that is,” Syne replied.

“If nothing else, we can use it to arrange meetings without you following me.” Jenn managed a smile, digging xis out so they could trade contact information.


	15. Sycamore's Lab

"So. We've got Viola. Where to next?" Kerry said, at ease. Jenn was finally cleared to travel again, and so the pair headed up Route 4 towards Lumiose.

"According to the guide, Cyllage - apparently the Lumiose gym leader doesn't usually accept challengers who have less than four badges. Probably a good thing, he uses Electric types so I couldn't just curb stomp him with Sera." Jenn's holocaster lit up with a message as xi read from the guidebook. Xi blinked down at it and opened the message, then stared at it for a long moment.

It was a request from a Professor Sycamore that xi report to the lab, something about wanting to see xir skill for himself.

Kerry looked over Jenn's shoulder when she saw Jenn’s slowly souring reaction to the message, “What’s wrong... Ah, I see."

" _You see?_ ” Jenn’s expression soured further, prompting Jacinth’s blue-and-rainbow ball to pop open, the little Riolu butting against Jenn’s hand. Jenn took the prompt to lift and hold him, letting his Aura soothe xis.

"You're worried."

"Thank you, captain obvious. But yes, I am, because I know me getting a survey position was less than above-board and we don’t fucking know how much of that was done with his okay and how much was some lab assistant deciding to put their job on the line for a good cause."

"Hm. Well, I think if he were genuinely upset about this, we’d have had Agent Handsome after us by now.”

"Agent Handso- Looker?" Jenn forgot xi shouldn't know the Kalosian codename.

"Shut up. The name might be stupid, but he’s one of the most competent people Interpol have. And that's almost saying something."

"I'm aware." Jenn grinned. "Helping him oust a certain villain and set up a gua- nevermind. Ignore what I just said.”

Kerry recoiled from the very idea, not sure if Jenn was being serious here or not. "Eh!?"

Jenn flinched and rocked back on xir heels. “N-nevermind. If ‘Team Flare’ shows up then... but unless that happens, don’t worry.”

Kerry calmed down. "All right. I’ll try not to. Speaking of-- if you’re worried for your safety, I’ll head there with you directly."

Jenn tried not to work xirself up, and managed a fairly convincing smile for her. “Thanks.”

Kerry mussed Jenn’s hair. "In any case, I don't think this is a terrible thing, on the face of it.”

"I hope not. He... probably wants to see if I’m really qualified for the job. Knowing the nitwits, they’ve probably got him halfway to convinced the sun sets on my ass.” Jenn stuck xir tongue out.

"Well. The gravity of everyone’s vision or not, don’t take Sycamore too lightly-- He probably has at least six badges. If he hasn't gone to seed behind his desk, he'll be formidable."

Jenn blinked and peered curiously at Kerry. “... Did you just...”

“Of course not,” Kerry said.

“Uh _huh_ ,” Jenn didn’t sound terribly convinced.

"Back to the topic, everyone says Sycamore’s heart was never in it..."

"I see," So kind of like xir, then.

"And more into the women."

Jenn laughed slightly. "Oh boy."

"He's, ah... very much the ancient Kalosian, or so his reputation says."

Jenn just giggled softly.

"Well, we have a destination. Ready?"

"Leeeet's get this over with." Xi agreed.

If you took the main roads, Lumiose was easy to get to, even if one was skating the whole way. Even if Jenn dragged Kerry through every maze along the way, as well. Sera thought it great fun at least, though the best Kerry could say for it was that it was to be expected, if quite pretty. As they approached the city, Jenn called everyone except Sera back into their balls.

Unsurprisingly, at the other end of Route 4, Sycamore was waiting, as if a top researcher had nothing better to do than wait for two teenagers. Jenn’s nerves began to fray once more, prompting the demigirl to take Kerry’s arm.

[ ](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24676611/AT%20JK%20R4.png)

"Ah, well! This is a surprise. I ask for one lovely young person and get two. Come, come."

Jenn did a double take, eyes widening in shock as xi recognized the young, handsome professor. Gurkinn and Valerie had been somewhat familiar, but Sycamore xi actually _recognized._ He seemed pleasant enough, though.

Kerry held xir arm, mostly to support Jenn. Jenn smiled a little and squeezed Kerry's arm. Kerry's expression didn't change.

As for the lab itself, the outside was decorated with a pair of pedestals supporting oversized pokeballs. The first floor was of little interest to the group-- not much more than a reception area and a door to a sanctuary out behind the lab proper. The second floor they passed by, but Sycamore informed them it was given over to research. The top floor was split into a group office with several shelves of books, and Sycamore’s own office.

"Now then, you will forgive me, but certain things are customary." Sycamore drew a pokeball. "I simply must see who it is I have given this pokedex to, yes?"

"Well, if you insist..." Jenn grinned a little and nodded at Sera. Sera sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I'm not gonna be happy if this ruins my dress,” the Black Lucario grumbled.

Sycamore blinked for a moment, hand curled carefully against his mouth.

The fight took all of three moves, as Sera’s speed and skill didn’t even give the much less trained Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander a chance to attack. "Ahhhhhh. Interesting. You are like me, no? Not so interested in the fighting."

"Pretty much." Xi agreed, shrugging. Sera dusted herself off with more drama than actual dirt.

"Despite that, you are truly talented. I think you should take one of these three with you, as part of your research."

Jenn blinked and frowned a little.

"No need to rush into it, of course." He countered with a smile.

Jenn and Sera exchanged glances.

_ <They all have good potential.> _

_ <Mmn... I don't really want a Bulbasaur, so it's mostly a toss up between Charmander and Squirtle...> _

_ <Hmm. Well, we already have a swimmer...> _

_ <This is true.> _

"Charmander." Jenn smiled sheepishly.

"Ah, unusual. I had heard you had a Fennekin. Many of your talent seem to select to cover a perceived hole in a team. Still, I suppose that there are as many ways to train Pokemon as there exist people in the world."

"Well, I am covering a hole, it's just that I have a Luvdisc, so a pokemon who can eventually **fly** is a bigger priority."

"Eh... I didn't think a Luvdisc had the size to carry anyone fully grown... But this is aside the point, no? Come, let's have some coffee and talk." He looked at Kerry. "You too, come come..."

"I'm a strong swimmer." Jenn grinned. Sera rolled her eyes.

"Alright."

"So," he said as the espresso steamed. "A curious crew you’ve gathered: A mistress of training of some renown, a Lucario who talks and dresses up, and of course there’s the unusual matter of your arrival. Did you know you have no birth records?"

"... Yes." Jenn shrugged, unaware of what that meant in this time and place.

"You'll note males and females are both on hormonal control." He nods. "It’s quite important-- to have a child before both parents are ready has a tendency to lead to abuse or worse situations."

Jenn blinked. That explained a few things, though xi retreated to Granny's favorite defense - an interested expression and eerily intense eye contact.

Sycamore’s expression cooled slightly. “If you need a place to take shelter, you have it. Now!” He nodded, continuing with some other spiel. “I am a researcher; and for the moment, so are you. I must inform you-- there are more things than even the god-botherers dream of out there. I wanted to see it all-- even mega-evolution! But, ah, as far as I can tell, it is the realm of bitter old men. I will have none of it for myself, it's not a talent I possess."

Jenn snorted slightly. "If you mean who I think you mean, I think he lost a stick somewhere rather closer than he'd like people to know. And by stick I mean tree."

Sycamore laughed. "Yes, he does seem the type."

"I didn't care for my few conversations with him,” Kerry agreed.

Jenn grinned and dodged Sera's attempt to smack manners into xir.

"Ah, but that is the thing. I think even that old man has something to teach."

"I suppose." Jenn carefully doesn't reveal what xi knows of him.

“I cannot think of better to take the task, I’m afraid,” Sycamore said. "Which brings up a question- your friends say you are from Sinnoh?"

"They're not my friends, they're a group of overly-inquisitive wankers with no concept of personal space." Jenn bristled.

Sera broke in. "They had no way of knowing, but Jenn was recovering from a panic attack and Shauna's... unique concept of appropriate behavior didn't mix well. It's rather set the tone of things."

"Ahaaaa," the Professor nodded. "So rather than telling them you were from some place that would give them concern, like, say, Illiana, you decided a better choice would be Sinnoh; a region where a world traveler would be more easily at home."

"Actually, Tierno, I think it was? Spotted my Pokegear and asked if I had one because that's where I was from."

"... Time-honored tradition. Well done."

Jenn half-bowed in xir seat and deftly avoided another attempted dope slap.

Kerry sat, her arms crossed under her bust, carefully following the conversation. “... Something still doesn’t fit, here-- what’s in it for you, Professor?”

Sycamore shrugged. “The thrill of discovery? The finding of fellow altruists? I rarely have one reason for decisions.”

Kerry paused, not entirely sure what that was supposed to mean, hand curling against her mouth.

_ <Fellow altruists?> _ Jenn questioned.

_ <Maybe he's referring to those Riolu you half-tamed _?> Sera's mental shrug was thoroughly apathetic.

_ <... Shitbiscuits.> _

_ <Language!> _ Sera's paw shot out. Jenn ducked it without even spilling a drop of xir coffee.

"I see I've given you some room for thought. Please, feel free to take your time with the coffee."

Sera spluttered. Jenn covered xir surprise by sipping xir coffee slowly.

"We figured telepathy was the least-rude route."

Sycamore’s attention turned to Kerry. “And you?”

"I don't mind being alone with my thoughts."

"I see."

Jenn considered a few moments longer. "The whole truth is... not something I'm prepared to divulge, and I'm not sure you'd be prepared to accept it. But the short of it is there's no family to be found or lost records to be recovered." Xi paused. "We... are better informed than we should be, given the circumstances. That isn't likely to change."

Sycamore's smile didn't slip. "Well. I suppose that means time will have to tell, now won't it?"

KNOK NOK. "Hm? More guests? They're early..." Sycamore looked to the door, then back at the girls. "Still, I suppose there's plenty of room. I'll be back in a moment, please, no need to get up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the dry spot, everyone. We had a bit of a buffer and realized that while the material was good, it was only ever going to get used in flashbacks... which required a bit of restructuring. And now we don't have a buffer. _Yaaay_.


	16. Where ya been so long?

Route 5 was lush and green outside of Lumiose. To the right for anyone exiting the city was a large skate park, and directly ahead was a tall hill.

“All the same, I’m glad I’m out of Lumiose, at least, for now,” Kerry said, stretching as they left the city gates.

Jenn nodded xir agreement. “It’s nice to be somewhere less... crowded, yeah. Still not sure why Diantha insisted on such a radical change of image though...” Xi lifted xir kilt, frowning at the purple plaid a bit.

“Probably related to the blackout…”

“Or that Xavier kid being a creep.” Sera interjected with a little smirk.

Jenn grimaced with distaste as xi recalled the conversation.

_“Although… It is related to something I wanted to ask you. How about you and I compete and see who ends up stronger? I know we set off on our journey just after you arrived in Aquacorde, but having a competition with you sounds like fun.”_

_Kerry actually stopped eating to listen once he said he wanted to ask something related to battling. Diantha blinked a little. Not that her brow knit in confusion, but she did finally offer Xavier a slightly cool regard._

_Jenn blinked as well. At first glance, it seemed a simple enough request, though xi sincerely doubted he had a snowflake’s chance in hell against xir team, but Kerry and Diantha’s reactions clued xir in that a flat ‘no’ would probably not go over well. Xir own expression cooled and xi raised xir eyebrows, giving Xavier an unimpressed look. “I’ll think about it.”_

_A look of slowly growing discomfort put Xavier’s back up. “I understand. I’ll await your reply.” pulling himself straight, he exited the cafe as fast as a careful, slow march could carry him._

“What was that even _about_ anyways?” The demigirl grumbled, thrusting xir hands into xir pockets uncomfortably.

“How to put it-- A Rival’s a concept borrowed from martial arts; it’s become more common the more the Kanto System’s spread. At its best, it’s someone pretty close to you in skill, and you encourage each other to do better and develop your skills. Like-- A friend you enjoy matching wits with,” Kerry attempted to explain.

“... And just like the whole teacher-student thing, it’s got a lot more meaning to someone from now than it does to me?” Jenn muttered half to xirself. “Spades or maybe diamonds I guess...”

Kerry blinked, but figured that whatever Jenn was muttering about wasn’t that big a deal in the long run. “Probably. In martial arts, these are cherished relationships, so I grasped the concept quickly once I knew it was in the wider world.”

“So it’s probably a good thing I shut him down nicely, huh?” Jenn sighed and ran a hand through xir bangs. “Great. _More_ anime protagonist syndrome bullshit.”

Almost as though the world had to answer such a declaration with more of the same, a Lucario dashed up to them, barking in excitement and running quick circles around them before cuddling up to Jenn. Jenn blinked in surprise, lifting xir hands and ignoring the ‘pof’ of a ‘mon escaping containment until Sera began to growl.

 _< You feel good!>_ An unfamiliar mental voice informed Jenn cheerfully.

“Uh... hi?”

Kerry grumbled and rubbed her eyes. “Seriously guys? Really?”

Sera’s thought was cut short by her own determination not to swear as much as Jenn did.

“Wait-- **LUCARIO!** ” The sound of rollerskates against short grass and the padding of soft feet announced the arrival of the pair from Shalour. “Oh jeeze, I’m so sorry, are you okay? I was doing some special training with these two when he ran... off...”

The blonde girl paused, and spared a glance at Sera, not sure what to make of what she saw. One tall person, of indeterminate gender, their auburn hair bound up in two gently pointed odango, tied with ribbons and gently curled twintails dangling from them. They wore a lavender leotard, dusky purple bolero with a rather large black ribbon, and a short kilt in shades of black and purple, complete with a sporran rather than the more traditional travel bag. Black knee high boots with wedge heels and arm warmers in lavender and black managed to hide more freckled, faintly scarred skin than it revealed.

A black-furred Lucario in a minty green sundress, halter neck settled below her chest spike, clinging to the purple-clad person and growling at her own Lucario, who had snuggled up to the stranger.

And, somehow, an even _taller_ girl, skin as dark as rich earth, her shadow-dark hair tied up with a pink bow. She wore blue athletic gear with neon pink accents, travelling boots, and a sky-blue scarf, and had stuck her face in one hand on Korrina's arrival.

“Uh...” Korrina’s expression slowly turned baffled and uncomfortable. “He’s never run off like that before... I guess he saw something in your aura that interested him? He’s always getting worked up in battle with this one,” She indicated the other Lucario, trying to change the subject, “though, so maybe he was just looking for someone strong enough to challenge him!”

“Oh, well, I’m hardly one to ignore a spirited competitor. What’s h- their name?” Kerry asked.

“Er... they don’t have names,” The blonde shrugged.

Well now Kerry put her hands on her hips and tilted her head, not sure if she’d heard that right. Jenn, on other hand, had an expression more appropriate to a parent admitting they hadn’t named their children.

“Oops!” Korrina quickly tried to change the subject again, “I was on such a roll, I forgot to even introduce myself! I'm Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader. If you're collecting Gym Badges, I'm sure we'll be battling sooner or later! I'm looking forward to it- I hope you know how to roll with the punches!" One hand went behind her head, the other extended for a handshake.

Jenn ignored the proffered hand and glanced over at Kerry, _so I can legitimately kick her ass for being this stupid?_ clear on xir face.

Kerry nodded. “Well. Korrina. I suppose I’ll have to expect a tough fight against you then. I’ll look forward to it.”

“What she said.” Jenn managed to grit out, plastering a blatantly false smile on xir face. The pressure coming off xir threatened to choke the breath from Korrina, and only asserting her own aura cut it off. She took a step back.

The Lucario who had dashed up to Jenn peered up at xir, giving the demigirl his best puppy eyes. _< She’s really not that bad-->_

“Go on back to your trainer, sweetie. I’m sure we’ve taken up enough of her time.” Jenn lightly patted the Lucario between his ears, the pressure slowly easing as xi stalked off, muttering something under xir breath. Sera practically ran to keep up, and with a sigh and drooping tail, he returned to Korrina.

* * *

By the time Kerry caught up to the demigirl, xi was humming angrily to a tune only xi seemed to know.

“What are you humming this time?”

“... You waltz around like you’re the best, where your garden blooms in May, but it’s snowing every day, ‘cause you have _everything you want_...”

“So. Disambiguation issues aside, what did you notice about the heir of Gurkinn?” Kerry asked.

“Besides that I’d kinda like to punch the stupid out of her?” Jenn grumbled, crossing xir arms and glaring off in the general direction they’d left Korrina behind in.

“Yes, besides that,” Kerry said. She was curious how much Jenn had noticed, even with how upset xi was.

Jenn took a deep breath. “... Her Aura felt like mine?”

Kerry nodded. “Yes, precisely. That is Gurkinn’s heir, I think. It’s a riddle; I surely do remember Gurkinn lording it up, don’t you?”

Jenn blinked and nodded slowing. “Thought it was... **cute** I’d been training with Sera since I was ‘only’,” xi put air quotes around it, “nine.” Xi slowly chewed over the problem in xir head.

“... If her Aura’s like yours, and you trained with me...” Sera blinked. The pair exchanged a glance.

“... Then she’s probably only trained with her Lucarios?” They finished together.

Kerry smiled. “Yes. And that is why I hold little malice towards Korrina herself. Come on.”

Before they got too very much farther, Jenn’s lab partners surrounded them.

“Did you guys see that? Korrina came dashing off towards Lumiose and then back--” Shauna bubbled, bouncing in place.

“Yeah. We saw her.” Jenn snipped.

“Uh...” Tierno looked between them, and decided keeping Jenn from snapping Shauna’s head off in a fit of pique was likely a good idea. “Well! We wanted to let you know that there’s swarms of pokemon out here today!”

Trevor quickly picked up on his friend’s plan. “Yes. I thought you might like to have some honey. It helps attract large groups of pokemon. That may offer more of a challenge for you.”

Jenn blinked. “Oh. Yeah, I suppose.”

“So here!” The tiny redhead thrust three jars of the sticky golden goodness at xir. Jenn took them, tucking it into xir bag.

Teirno glanced at Kerry. “Did you want any, miss? We have plenty.”

Kerry shook her head and Jenn, at least, could feel her put her Aura close to her chest again. “I already have a supply, thanks.”

“Oh! Alright then.” The large boy grinned.

Jenn managed not to look at Kerry or comment.

“Anyways!” Shauna grinned. “I’ve got more memories to make. Jenn, you should meet me at Shabboneau Castle! Bring your friend too~” She waved, taking off.

The boys side-eyed each other. “Wanna battle?”

Kerry looked over at Jenn.

“I’m game.” Jenn grinned, shoulders shaking from contained laughter.

Kerry shrugged and nodded. “Very well. Would you like to take this one on your own, Jenn?”

“Yeah, I got this.” Jenn’s grin turned slightly evil. The boys really should have taken the hint, but instead the pair took up battle stances.

“Go Pikachu!”

“Let’s dance, Corphish!”

Jenn’s smile grew a little fixed. “Brienne and Gilgamesh, show them how this _really_ works!”

“Two fire types?” Trevor started to protest. “That can’t--”

“Gil, smokescreen! Bri, flame charge the Pikachu!”

“Quick attack!”

“Vice grip! Slow her down--”

“Flame charge again! Gil, use ember, focus on the Pikachu too--” Jenn closed xir eyes, watching the battle with xir aura instead of trying to squint through the smoke.

“Chuuuu!” The poor electric rodent went down.

“Go Flabébé, use vine whip!”

From within the smoke, a bright light erupted. “Brai-XEN!” Jenn would later discover xi was missing a pair of knitting needles, now wielded by Brienne in place of the traditional single twig. The little firefox ignited both needles, struggling with the Flabébé’s grip on her.

“Brienne, use that new attack on the Corphish! Gil, ember on the Flabébé!”

“Thanks for the battle!” Tierno waved a few moments later.

“... Waaaay out of our league.” Trevor sighed, holding his singed fairy close to his chest.

* * *

Shauna was already waiting for them at the front gate of Shabboneau Castle.

Kerry looked at the various towers and walls and nodded. “This wasn’t a fortress, unless I miss my guess, Shauna?”

“No, I think it was just a home.” Shauna agreed. “It’s famous for the family shrine, though! About a century ago it fell into the hands of the Aura Guardians because of that. I think there’s a Knight who tends it now.”

Jenn just boggled, staring at it. Xi hadn’t actually seen a castle, even a chateau, in person before.

“Oh hey! Fancy seeing you again.” A voice called out. Jenn jumped and turned, then grinned at the familiar man.

“Oh, hey Trace. Here to get your ass back?”

“Brought the silver platter and everything.” Trace laughed.

“ _Only silver?”_ The demigirl grinned slyly. “I was thinking gold this time.”

“Do you two know each other?” Shauna looked between the older traveller and Jenn.

“Eh, yeah, I beat him good on the trip here.” Jenn shrugged and grinned.

“What xi _isn’t_ mentioning is that xi kicked my rear up, down, and across the deck.” Trace laughed and fluffed the demigirl’s bangs. “That said, I was actually on my way to Lumiose. I’m afraid I’ve got to cut my vacation short. I remembered you were on your way here to take your journey, thought I’d look you up and see if either of you two would be willing to take some Eevees off my hands.”

“Eevees?” Kerry’s interest piqued for the first time about acquiring any pokemon. “I thought they were fairly rare?”

“Common as weeds up near Geosenge town.” Trace laughed.

Jenn perked up as well. “Yeah, I’d be interested!”

“... I always did find them a bit charming…”

He smiled and handed a pokeball to each of them, including one for Shauna as an afterthought. “Enjoy then.”

Kerry paused and held the ball up to the sunlight, gently letting the top of the ball go translucent so she could see the Eevee inside it. “Hi…”

Jenn and Shauna did likewise. Trace watched them with a smile for a moment, before waving and heading off. Which was how the Knight-in-residence found his trio of tourists.

“Good evening,” the Knight said. He didn’t much look like a knight as Jenn was familiar with the term, dressed more like someone had described to a renaissance tailor what a private eye looked like once. “Is this your first time visiting?”

Jenn managed to keep a mostly straight face, eyes going wide with the effort. “A-ah, yeah. Yeah it is.”

Shauna nodded enthusiastically, latching onto one of Jenn’s arms. Jenn gave her a look, but the brunette ignored it.

“No, but I think I shall stay with my friends,” Kerry said, quietly.

“Very well-- The shrine’s back this way.” Say what you liked about the depths of fashion the Guardians had to put up with, the fellow in this getup did know how to move to make it look like he was the dangerous, sexy one in a hack fantasy noir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy butts this one took a while. And only six revisions. "Only."


	17. Trouble on the Bridge!

The resident knight was in the midst of a rather long-winded yarn about Guardians and their hats when Korrina strolled into the chateau. “Pardon me, but are there any newbie trai--”

Korrina’s expression turned to innocent, bloodthirsty glee when she saw Kerry and Jenn. Jenn’s expression froze somewhere between uncomfortable disgust and utter resignation at xir fate when the blonde gym leader caught xir eye. This was reasonably inevitable.

“Perfect. Okay, grab the Poke-flute and come on, there’s an obstruction--”

“... About that,” the knight said, looking only slightly ashamed.

Jenn silently pinched the bridge of xir nose, tamping xir aura down. Different as the circumstances were, xi had xir suspicions as to the complication the knight was about to reveal.

Korrina rubbed her eyes. “Oh, Xu, tell me you weren’t gambling with the curator again. You know he cheats.”

“It’s true, but it’s the only game in town,” the Knight shrugged. “I’d normally have it back by next week, but since it’s urgent--”

Jenn raised a hand without lifting xir head, voice slightly muffled by xir hand. “Is it going to be faster if someone who doesn’t have gambling debts goes and gets it.”

“Probably,” Kerry, Korrina, and Xu all said at once.

“Right. Lemme guess, you’re the only one who can play it well,” Jenn sighed, finally glancing up at Xu.

“There’s a trick to it,” Xu nodded. “At the very least, the curator can’t.”

“Right,” Jenn sighed again. “I’ll go get it and meet you at the bridge?”

“Please do.”

“I’ll go with you!” Shauna declared, latching even more tightly onto Jenn. Jenn’s expression rather closely resembled that of a cat presented with the choice of a bath and a rocking chair.

“Fine. Keep up,” The tall demigirl stalked off with no regard for the brunette’s shorter stride.

* * *

The rustling started long before Chamonix actually noticed it; they had been in the middle of trying to take pictures of a particularly obnoxious Kecleon that had probably noticed their presence quite a while ago. Really, they didn't notice until the first Sentret ran right up them, perched on their head, and let out a shrill alarm cry. That did it for the Kecleon, of course, who wasn’t about to stick around when Sentrets were calling out danger. Chamonix cursed their luck and squinted through the head-height grass. They met with several Nincada to the face, more than a few Oddish, and several Espurr all fleeing what felt like a storm bearing down on the formerly peaceful route. Many of the fleeing pokemon struggled between fleeing the impending doom, and the storm of Honedge drawn to the soon-to-come disaster. _That_ was enough for Chamonix to quit the field for the day. Whatever it was that had everything on the Route either spooked or sharpening its blades deserved wide berth, even if there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

There might not be a cloud in the sky, but there was certainly one over Jenn's head as each step drove xir boots deep into the packed earth of the palace lane's side trail. Sera held one of xir arms while Shauna held the other, but Jenn hadn't slowed xir pace in the slightest, easily dragging both the smaller folks.

“... Purrrr.” A tiny paw pressed against Jenn’s nose, bringing xir to a halt without any apparent physical effort. It was about the size of Jenn’s head, grey, with purple eyes that seemed to stare right through flesh and on into the mind and soul. It had a pair of Scottish fold ears, and was floating. Come to think of it, so was Jenn.

Shauna waved gratefully to the little creature.

Approximately ten seconds later, Jenn finally noticed that there was nothing under xir feet, looked down, then snarled. “Put. Me. **DOWN**.”

The slightly undersized Espurr shook its head, tsking loudly at the trainer’s impatience. ** <Not until you calm down. You’re going to faint at this rate, and then how will you ‘beat that asshole into a bloody pulp not even his mother would recognize’?> **

The rainbow ball Jenn wore on a necklace poffed open quietly, letting Jacinth drop to the ground, one puppy paw already pressed to his forehead. <Please _stop encouraging xir. >_

** <Why? It’s not like wanting to smack sense into someone being stupid is wron--> **

_ <It is when xi might not stop when the stupid’s gone!> _

** <All the more eason to keep xir in there until xi calms down--> **

“I am _right here_ , you two!” Jenn seethed loudly, nails digging into xir palms in a barely-suppressed desire to hit _something_ until it stopped moving.

“If you’re all done deciding if Jenn has enough control to hit someone without anyone’s breaking bones,” Shauna said, tapping one foot on nothing in particular. The Espurr and Riolu exchanged glances, then both nodded to the shorter human.

Sera let out a put-upon sigh. “Put xir down. We’ve got this.”

“... Um?” Shauna couldn’t even come up with a smart remark to go with that.

The Espurr released Jenn though, letting the three she’d been holding drop to the ground. Jenn and Sera landed gracefully on the balls of their feet, while Shauna promptly slipped, one arm waving in a desperate bid to keep her balance, other hand digging deep into Jenn’s arm. Jenn winced, almost pulled over xirself, then twisted at the hips and lifted xir arm to pull Shauna back onto her feet. Shauna simply gaped for a moment, eyes shining in admiration. Jenn glowered at her, waiting patiently for Shauna to remember to put her weight back on her feet instead of taking advantage of the gun show.

** <Make it quick. The Honedge are Interested. Nobody wants to be around when that turns into ** _**arrival** _ **. > **

“Good point. Running spar?” Jenn tilted xir head at Sera. The Lucario nodded. “Right. Shauna? Keep up.” Xi stretched for a moment, popping xir back loudly, then took off, this time at a run instead of a determined march. Sera took off after xir, summoning a pair of bones about the length of her arms.

For a moment, Shauna, Jacinth, and the Espurr just stared after them. “... We need to follow them.”

**< We need to **_**keep up with**_ **them. >** The Espurr corrected rather dryly.

The tall brush started to faintly rustle. “Shit.” Shauna started running, scooping Jacinth up on her way.

Ahead of them, Sera lashed out with one bone, slashing it like a short sword. Jenn paused for just long enough for it to miss xir, then lashed out with one leg, attempting to sweep Sera’s feet from under her. The Lucario leaped over it, using her momentum to take another crack at Jenn. Jenn dashed off again, ducking forward and slipping xir skates onto xir boots.

Sera snarled impatiently, throwing both bones after Jenn. Xi heard them coming, using the extra momentum from the skates to spin around entirely, dodging one bone and knocking the other from the air. Dodging might not have been the best plan, though, as the bone whipped back around, finally cracking xir across the back. Xi didn’t drop, though, managing to keep xir balance through sheer determination. A deep breath and Sera dashing past xir set xir right back off after the Lucario--

* * *

Xu paused in his gentle shuffling of a PokeTarot deck and looked up, then in the general direction of Route 7. He blinked, and nearly dropped the deck when he started doubling over laughing, one hand pressed over his eyes.

Kerry’s eyes fluttered open. She stood up and leaned on the sleeping bulk of the Snorlax. Was she seriously feeling what she thought she was feeling?

… Yep. Kerry rubbed her eyes. “If I have to save xir sorry--”

Before Kerry could finish, Korrina clicked her skates into gear, eyes flashing already.

Kerry reached out and gently-- _gently_ \-- arrested Korrina’s forward motion. “Wait.”

“But--” Korrina practically vibrated in place for a moment, before taking a deep breath and centering herself. “... Xi’s been traveling with you long enough you think xi can handle _that_?”

“No. I’ve been traveling with xir long enough that I think xi can escape to the Palace without too much issue. Further, we move faster than they do.”

Korrina groaned, pressing a hand to her face.

“Besides. You still have the team you’re training for junior cert, correct? I have no such issue.”

“... Not with me, no,” Korrina shook her head. “I had these two out for special training.”

“All the more reason _I_ should lead the charge, yes? I have a better shot at overwhelming a horde.”

“... Why don’t I just go call the rangers and let them know they should send a cleanup team...”

Kerry put her head in her hands. “Do that.”

* * *

“Well, the Honedge were starting to catch up and I’m still carrying the Riolu--”

“That’s really cool, Shauna, but how did that lead to you catching a Honedge?” Tierno finally got in edgewise.

“Vivi popped out of her ball, right on top of a Honedge that was about to slice my pigtails off! Jenn kicked one of Sera’s bones right into its eye, so I grabbed a ball and threw it!”

Xavier, Trevor, and Tierno all slowly blinked, jaws in various states of slackness.

“I-isn’t it impossible to aim in a horde battle--?!” Trevor started to protest.

“Did you forget I was the star lacrosse striker in the Santalune league?” Shauna smirked, leaning forward with her hands on her hips. “I can hit _anything_!”

Xavier groaned and dragged a hand down his face, tugging on his eyes and the corners of his mouth. “What was I thinking, though? I couldn’t rival _that_ if I had a god with rockets strapped on!”

“You’re just ambitious,” Tierno grinned, elbowing him in the side gently.

“You challenged xir too,” Trevor reminded Tierno. Tierno grinned and raised his eyebrows. Trevor groaned quietly, hiding his face in his hands.

“So… You all have a crush on Jenn?” Shauna said with a grin.

All three of the boys froze, staring at her. Off-chorus, all three of them groaned and hid their faces in their hands.

* * *

Syne paused, looked at her holocaster and the attendant messages on it, sighed, and put her face in one hand. Crisis intervention was a tricky business…

* * *

“So what do you think, Handsome?”

Agent Handsome of Interpol stared at Trace for a long moment, eyes blown wide and lips pursed to try and stop a smile forming. He could only hold it in for a minute before he doubled over, pounding the side table of his hotel room and cackling loudly.

Trace couldn’t help breaking out in a fit himself.

"I think you're getting a raise. And maybe a promotion."

* * *

Lysandre put the phone down, and rubbed his eyes, and restrained a laugh. "It begins..."

Diantha covered her mouth, hand slowly sliding up to hide tears from restraining the urge to laugh. No talent for drama her left foot.

Sycamore brought three cups of espresso back to the table and raised an eyebrow. “What begins?”

Lysandre and Diantha shared a look, before attempting to innocently, and as though it were a _simple, normal, and rational occurrence_ , explain what precisely Jenn had done.

Sycamore nearly choked on his espresso. Diantha wheezed as a little ended up in her nose.

 


	18. Mt St Lardass

Jenn scooped the poor cowering Furfrou up as though it were a slightly oversized lapdog, huffed loudly, and marched past Sera and Shauna as though this were an everyday occurrence. “Got all the brains’a Stupid and Dumbass.”

“Stupid and Dumbass?” Shauna had to jog a little to keep up with Jenn.

“M’Granny’s cats. She called ‘em Stupid and Dumbass so much they thought those were their names.”

“... Skitty? Delcatty? ... Purugly?”

“... Sssskitty... yeah. Ssssskitty.”

“If they were Persian or something you can tell me, it’s not like anyone believes the hype.”

“You know, I never really got that hype. Sure, Persian are elegant and stuff but if you want an evil poofball you really want a Skitty or an Eevee.”

“... I’d never given it that much thought, to be honest,” Shauna said, looking up at the sky.

“I was subjected to many stories centered on over-the-top villains.”

“... Are you _sure_ your Granny wasn’t some kind of gang leader?”

“She led a farm. Close enough, really.”

Shauna raised her eyebrows. “So, Magma-dan then?”

“Oh, yeah. Maxie was like my mom, you know? Always talking about building levees and shit. Tabitha used to give me piggyback rides and everything!” Jenn squeed, snuggling the Furfrou and grinning viciously.

“Wow, I didn’t know ‘blatant lies’ was a profile option!” Shauna grinned back.

“Hey, you asked.”

Shauna huffed a little and nodded. “Oh, look. There’s the owner.”

“Oh!” The balding, middle-aged man exclaimed with a childlike glee. “You found her! My wonderfrou Furfrou!”

“Yeah, yeah, hope you choke on it ya bone--” Jenn started

“ _Okay,_ ” Shauna said, shaking the owner’s hand. “We were glad to do it. But we don’t work for free, after all, time is a very valuable thing.” She smiled a wide, innocent, excessively-happy smile, hands clasped behind her back.

Jenn glanced over, eyebrows trying to climb into xir hairline. Who was this, and what had she done to Shauna?

The owner blinked rapidly, staring for a second.

The butler who seemed to more or less shadow him leaned forward. “Of course, of course, excellent service should naturally be rewarded...”

“How about a wonderfrou fireworks show?” The owner chirped immediately.

“It’s barely past one,” Jenn replied flatly.

“And besides, don’t you do that fireworks display _every_ Wednesday?” Shauna said, batting her eyes at the owner. “It’s right here in the pamphlet…”

The butler’s eyes flashed. “Oh... it’s _migration season_ , isn’t it?”

The owner’s eyes finally lit up with a modicum of intelligence. “Hey! I’m not giving up the Pokéflute for two tru--”

“Sir, if nothing can pass the bridge, Froufrou can’t visit the Daycare...”

“Oh yeah,” Jenn nodded. “Not to mention there’s a blackout in Lumiose right now. Only Routes Four and Five are open!”

Slowly, the sacred flame lit at the top of the tower. “Oh! Oh, dear. Well. I. I suppose I’d better let you two have it, then…”

“ _Praise the Sun!_ ” Jenn exclaimed.

The butler squinted at Jenn. “... Are you from Almia, mix?”

“Oh, of _course_! I grew up near Vientown and went to the Ranger school--”

“I thought you were from Sinnoh?” Shauna said.

“And Xavier thought I was from Mars,” Jenn replied with a shrug. “Really, at this point, you guys can believe what you want.”

For a moment, everyone stared silently. Jenn waited, smiling patiently. Finally, the butler sighed. “So then, you’ll be wanting the Pokéflute.”

“Yep!”

“Uh, yes, see to it.”

* * *

On the way up Route Seven, just past the berry farm, Jenn finally noticed the wild Espurr was still seated on xir head.

“Mrr?” She looked down as Jenn tilted xir head back.

“... Just gonna adopt me, then?” Jenn kept trying to look at her, without tilting her head back so far the little Espurr would fall off. Sera grabbed xir arm and pulled xir out of the way just in time for Korrina to zoom past on her skates. Korrina skidded to a halt behind them.

“Did you get it?”

Shauna held the Pokéflute up proudly.

Korrina nodded, then looked twice at Jenn’s head, then took a step back. “You… Do know you’ve got an Espurr just above your brain.”

“Yeah?” Jenn tilted xir head a little, looking at Korrina with confusion. Well, xir eyes still looked... the same way Korrina remembered them looking; a blue so pale it was almost white, and aggressively narrowed. The shine of them didn’t look off, either...

“It’s wild, too,” Shauna stage-whispered to Korrina.

“That’s-- Uh.”

“What’s uh?” Kerry said, approaching from the way Jenn and Shauna had just arrived, with slight scrapes. “Ah. I see someone’s taken a liking to you. Again.”

“Again?” Korrina stared between Jenn and Kerry. Jenn started to blush and glanced up as though the sky was of massive interest.

Shauna broke into a fit of giggles. “Yeah, apparently wild pokemon just really like xir. Just outside of Santalune, Xavier found xir in a horde of Riolu!” Jenn’s blush deepened, making each freckle stand out against a sea of beet red.

“Well. It’s not too difficult,” Kerry said. “I mean, I’ve managed enough empathy to draw in a lot of different kinds of Pokemon. A certain level of tranquility in general is required. Honedge are an exception,” she added, with a hint of a sour note. “That’s… Why I avoided the Honey. I. Really don’t need _more_ incentive.”

Precisely on time, a multicolored group of Flabébé had begun to gather around the group, gently settling on Kerry’s head and shoulders. Kerry closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed.

The Espurr started to lift off of Jenn’s head. In an instant, Jenn had ahold of it, and cuddled it into xir chest. “Ooooh no you don’t.”

“Purr!”

“Nope.”

Korrina blinked slowly, then started to relax a little. “I, uh. I see.”

Kerry pursed her lips together while the Flabébé wove her a flower crown. “So which of you nerds wants to give the Pokéflute a shot?”

“Not it,” Jenn shook xir head.

“I’m good. Newbie trainers get first dibs,” Korrina added.

“I already know I’ve got the knack for it,” Kerry nodded. “Besides, I’d be using my blue flute instead anyway.”

Jenn slowly placed xir face in one hand.

“Ask questions,” Sera snickered quietly.

“Shut up.”

“Guess that leaves me!” Shauna grinned.

Shauna, it turned out, could play a very pretty tune, but the Snorlax remained an intractable lump. Xu took over. Kerry closed her eyes and felt the way he manipulated his own Aura through the flute. Jenn took xir cue from her, tilting xir head a little. The Snorlax woke almost all at once, more than a little cranky. Korrina and Kerry hung back, and since Jenn didn’t want anything to do with such a massive lardass, Shauna took them on.

About ten minutes of careful chipping and furtive evasion later, Shauna picked up the Great Ball she’d used to capture Snorlax.

“Right. The Snorlax Speech,” Kerry said. “Snorlax eat. They eat _a lot_. They’re powerful, but because they’re such a pain to feed and keep, most Trainers end up releasing them eventually. I think there’s even one who decided to cut out the middleman and just stay in the mountains with theirs out in the Johto region. If you’re not prepared to keep something like that, which will eat a large basket of berries at every meal and still feel a mite peckish, it’s probably better to just let it go now.”

Shauna hesitated.

“Again, it’s a powerful, useful pokémon that’s seen more than one trainer through their certification. If you can feed it. And while I’ve never raised one myself, I’ve definitely heard that sleeping on top of a Snorlax is pretty comfortable.”

“I don’t think I uh... bring the heat like you or Jenn do...” Shauna hummed.

“I’m already a full certification, and Jenn’s been working directly with Pokemon in the wild for most of xir life. Don’t base your decision on us.”

“No, I mean, battling-wise. I don’t really bring in the kind of winnings that would keep a Snorlax fed--”

Jenn slung an arm around Shauna’s shoulders and turned her back down the route. “You know there’s a berry farm right down that way, yeah? Betcha if you were willin’ to help out...”

Shauna paused, then grinned. “Hey! You’re probably right!” Jenn winced when xi was hugged, but patted Shauna on the back. Shauna gave xir one last squeeze, then headed off down the path, humming cheerfully, with all four of her pigtails bouncing.

Xu waved and started to head off as well.

“... It’s been a while since I did field work,” Kerry said, “And I tried to keep my berry count down to prevent my luggage from being quarantined. Figure it’s time I did something like that.”

Jenn nodded. “I think I’ll pass.” Fieldwork would just remind xir of the farm after a day like this, and the last thing they needed was another breakdown.

“That’s fine. It’s a bit late in the day to make the attempt for Cyllage today, at least afoot. I think that actual hotel in Camphrier seems like a good rendezvous point.”

Xi nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you this evening.” A minute later, Korrina was the only other person at the bridge.

And she was grinning like a cat who had just found a nest of freshly-hatched Pidgey. “Sooo~ooo. You’ve been looking at me like you’d like to go a round or three.”

“... Imagine that.” Jenn gritted out stiffly.

“Well.” Korrina punched one hand into the other. “The pace you’re going, you’ll be in Shalour in three or four days. We’ll get to brawl for a badge then... but if you’d like a chance to fight for something besides a stake, meet me at the Battle Chateau in an hour.”

“An hour?” Jenn raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. The Daycare’s just across the bridge, and they’ll have some information that’ll help you with the survey. Should only take you an hour to get through it.”

“... Don’t count on it. Call it an hour and a half.”

“Sure, though you might have to wait in that case,” Korrina winked and skated off before Jenn could think of something witty to reply with.


	19. Daycare

The river was pretty enough, but Jenn wasn’t paying nearly as much attention to it as xi was to the long fence stretching along the road and the river’s edge. It curled around to the entrance to a large building that appeared to be half house and half barn. A large sign over the fence declared it the Daycare Center and Breeding Facility.  The fencing on the barn-like side was much higher and consisted of a layer of tightly-woven fabric in bright patterns on the side Jenn could see. Xi tried not to think too hard about that.

Inside, two men looked up from where they had been talking over the counter. The one behind the counter had a long silver braid slung over his shoulder and smiled widely at Jenn as xi entered. The other had spiked blue hair, a leather jacket, and a vaguely discontent expression.

“Howdy, welcome to the daycare,” the man behind the counter stood up straighter, “This your first time?”

“Yeah,” Jenn nodded, putting an arm around Sera and looking around. The walls and floors were a sterile, almost luminescent white - the kind of white that said they were scrubbed down daily, maybe even more than once - with a series of medical degrees framed on one wall, interspersed with battling and sports trophies. The other walls weren’t much better, filled with tacky framed posters along the lines of ‘your pokemon and you, better’ and a few displays of just-out-of-the-box training toys.

“A’right.” The braided man grinned, pulling out a stack of pamphlets. “Are you out on your own, or part of a survey team?”

“Part of the team,” Jenn’s eyes continued to dart around. In one corner was one of the Pokemon PCs most common to Pokemon Centers, the kind with a tray for Pokeballs below the keyboard.

“Oh, cool. You’ll want to talk to Cassius then, too, he designed Kalos’ box system.”

The young punk lifted a hand in a less than halfhearted wave. “Yo.”

“Hi,” Jenn nodded back.

“‘Kay, just as a heads up, if you want to breed your buddy there, you’ll need to go through the Guardians out of Shalour. We only breed standards here.”

“... Uuuuh...”

Sera’s expression went from confused to outright offended.

“I’ll take that as an ‘I didn’t think about that’,” the man behind the counter snickered. “Oh. I’m Marcel by the way. Okay, so these pamphlets are about our daycare services. You can have two Pokemon being trained at any given time, with the exception of boxed pokemon. Once a month, Cassius runs a check here, and if it’s been more than a month since they’ve been withdrawn from the box system we’ll let ‘em run around and do basic medical screenings over the course of a couple hours, just to keep them healthy. Really, though, if you need long-term storage for a ‘mon it’s best to keep them in day-care, since they don’t do too well in--”

“--a virtual world. That’s what modern ‘Balls do, they create a virtual pocket dimension. Any time you’ve got a group of ‘em - like your belt - the worlds temporarily merge. That’s what boxes do, too, just on a larger scale. The more you use the boxes, the more they expand,” Cassius interrupted. “Y’start with four boxes because that’s all the average trainer needs, but if you’re doin’ the survey and not catch-and-releasing you’ll need more than that, so it doubles every time you get every box at least half full, right up to 32 boxes.”

“Right!” Marcel’s smile turned a little strained. “And if you’re on the survey team and haven’t started makin’ a killing yet, catch-and-release gets pricey, so this pamphlet outlines how the Wonder Trade system works. Basically, you leave certain pokemon with us and we enter you into a kind of modified lottery. You get back a pokemon of the same level from a different trainer. You can do that as much as you want, and they’ll be sitting in your PC box when the trade’s done.

“This one outlines the Trainer Boost program. If you’ve caught a pokemon and don’t intend to train it, but don’t want to release it back into the wild, you can volunteer it to be given to a newbie trainer. That goes for pokemon you breed, too.

“And finally, these are the breeding pamphlets. Fairly basic stuff like egg groups, and what to do if you have a pokemon you’d like to breed but don’t have access to a match.” Beat. “And this is a best breeding guides practice, including a list of applicable laws. Just so, y’know, you can’t say you weren’t told if you do something stupid.”

Jenn stared at the inch thick stack of pamphlets in front of xir. “Um. That’s a lot of information. I’ll... take a look over it, thanks!”

“No problem. The PC is free for trainer use, by the way, if you didn’t want to hike all the way back to Camphier.”

“... Thanks,” Jenn repeated, practically darting for it and leaving the guys to their conversation.

Sera continued to stare at Marcel with an utterly indignant expression.

Marcel just sort of… stared back. “Hey, don’t lookit me like that. I don’t make the rules.”

“Who the hell needs human help to breed?!” The black Lucario threw her paws up in exasperation.

That gave him pause. “... Apparently not you.”

“Sera, stop giving him a rough time. He’s doin’ his job.”

“I... just... there are _entirely_ too many people who hide in their balls!” Sera stomped over to Jenn, grumbling and growling under her breath.

Marcel tried to snort with laughter and play it off. Ouch, his pride. “I… can’t argue with that.”

Jenn finally managed to decipher the text enough to switch out Bellatrix for the newly-dubbed Kabigami, who promptly fled her ball to settle right back on Jenn’s head. Jenn rolled xir eyes, snorted, and took Sera’s arm to head out.

“... Is the puffball _comfy_ up there?” Translation: are you sure that’s safe?

“Eh, if she falls off she’ll catch herself.” Jenn shrugged.

“Ooookay.” You win this round, Jenn.

* * *

Jenn sat down on the riverbank for a snack and cool-down break, letting xir team out to enjoy a bit of sun too, and introduce them to Kabigami. Immediately, Brienne snuggled into Jenn’s lap, Chublord ran up one arm to perch on xir shoulder, Oberon tried to fit under the other arm, and Gilgamesh hugged his tail, looking at the group in confusion. For a moment, Jenn pondered how in the hell xi was going to eat with an overweight electric rodent on one shoulder, a fox-cat-bunny under the other, and an anthropomorphic fox in xir lap, when the little fire dinosaur finally toddled over and plopped himself in xir lap, shoving Brienne over a bit in the process.

Sera’s laughter startled a cloud of Flabébé from the nearby flowers.

* * *

When Jenn arrived at the Chateau in slightly under an hour and a half, Korrina was waiting for her. The blonde gym leader had taken the time to change out of her earlier outfit, into a more elegant dress with a long-sleeved bolero and boots Jenn had grown up calling shitkickers... though xi’d never seen a pair in white and pink.

“Are you gonna stand there and stare, or are you ready to make a grand entrance?” Korrina put her hands on her hips, grinning widely, emphasizing her hair spreading out behind her like a cape. Part of it had been pulled back into a tiny bun with an oversized bow peeking out around it like a pair of cute ears.

“... I’m trying to decide if your boots are going to eat me when they’re done with your legs.”

“Would you like them to!?” Korrina said, leaning forward and up to attempt to get in Jenn’s face. Even with her heels she was still a good head shorter, which just made Jenn grin.

“Like they could even _reach_ ,” xi stepped closer and stood straighter, shoulders back.

“Ah, Duchess Korrina,” one of the very proper maids gently interrupted the imminent fistfight. “It is always a pleasure to see you return to the Chateau.”

Jenn didn’t even glance over, more focused on the ~~upstart trying to intimidate xir~~ tiny, adorable gym leader.

“And you’ve brought someone I don’t recognize?”

“Ah. Yes.” Korrina kept her eyes on Jenn. “This would be Jenn. I’m vouching xir for… Baroneix? Baroness?”

Jenn’s eyes lit up with a recognition that passed for wicked enthusiasm. “Baroness is fine.”

“Ah, I see. Shall I take xir to the other candidates for today?” The maid looked between them.

“Perhaps I had best escort,” Korrina said, finally breaking eye contact, though she took Jenn’s hand at the wrist. “Are there any other Dukes in today?”

Jenn glanced down at Korrina’s hand, a tiny frown forming before xi could smooth it away. Rather than twisting xir wrist and admitting the discomfort, though, xi lifted xir arm and tucked xir hand over Korrina’s.

“Of course, Duchess,” the maid smiled demurely and lead the pair into the Chateau.

“Here we are, my ladies,” the maid bowed them into a large waiting room. It was a large balcony, overlooking a massive, marble-floored indoor arena. The balcony was dominated by conversational seating, all more or less facing the railing. To the right of the entrance was an open door, through which a steady stream of maids and butlers passed, bringing refreshments to the various observers. On the other end of the room was a different balcony, this one empty.

Korrina pulled Jenn away from the main crowd, towards a tiny velvet loveseat. That move alone was enough to draw attention and murmurs, which only increased when it was noticed the two had rather firm grips on each other.

The maid produced a menu, hand written in beautiful calligraphy on thick, pale green paper, and handed it to Jenn before gracefully heading for the kitchens to retrieve Korrina’s regular order. Jenn stared at the menu, frowning at it softly and trying to keep the difficulty off xir face.

“What, haven’t you ever seen _calligraphy_ before?” Korrina smirked and retrieved her hand to snatch the menu away.

Jenn’s eyes narrowed at Korrina before xi shrugged. “Not this full of flourishes, no.”

Korrina smirked. “Sweet or savory?”

“Savory.”

“Let’s see...” Korrina studied the paper for a moment, before pointing out the options. “Bacon-wrapped scallops, stuffed mushrooms, quiche, and for both, prosciutto-wrapped melon or a fruit salad with brie.”

Jenn considered, but xi didn’t want to end up needing to remove xir gloves which limited options somewhat... “What about drinks? Non-alcoholic.” That was one Kalosian quirk xi’d picked up on quickly.

“... Do you like ice cream?”

“Yeah?”

“They have milkshakes.”

“What flavors?”

“Cinnamon, Rawst, mint, Lum, and Orange.”

“... Mint.” Jenn nodded, mostly to xirself.

“Mint it is.” Korrina put the paper away. “So here is how this whole thing operates. Right now you’re a candidate. To become a Noble and part of the Chateau, you need to beat another candidate. People can be sponsored as long as there’s someone who’s been here at least ten years willing to put them up for adoption into the nobility.”

“In practice?”

“Word travels fast and since it’s hard to kick someone out, it takes a lot of doing to get a third or fourth try.”

“Noted,” Jenn nodded. “What about actual battle rules?”

“Candidates, Barons, Vicomtes are allowed only one pokemon in a fight. No items, including mega stones and rings. Candidates have a minimum stake of 900 pyen.”

Jenn’s eyebrows rose and xi focused harder on Korrina at the mention of mega items. Korrina grinned broadly.

“Make you a deal. You sweep the floor up to Viscountess tonight and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Jenn squinted at her again, crossing xir arms and leaning back. A moment later, the maid returned with Korrina’s parfait and a bright blue drink with various bits of fruit bobbing in it, taking Jenn’s order before retreating again.

“... And how do challenges work?” Jenn finally asked.

Korrina smirked, and then stood up. “Would all the current candidates for Baron please rise?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will we ever get to see an on-screen battle?
> 
> You'll find out next chapter. ;D
> 
> We got to really dig into world building with this chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed that!


	20. Chateau

Five minutes and a changing room later, Korrina glared at Jenn, eyes narrowing as she tried not to cringe. Jenn was wearing a black and red rendition of Elsa’s dress, edged in golden pearls. “You’re wearing the wrong dress.”

“I didn’t know you wanted to be Chibimoon so bad,” Jenn retorted.

“Who?” Korrina squinted up at Jenn, then hissed. “I am _not_ Darkrai’s Princess! That’s your job!”

“You’re the one dressed in pink head to toe,” Jenn pointed out innocently.

“My hair is _clearly_ a homage to Dialga’s Steward,” Korrina sniffed, flipping said hair.

“Oh, so _you’re_ wearing the wrong dress, too?”

“Nnnnhhhh--” Korrina stamped a foot, then pointed at the stairs leading to the battle area. “Get out there and kick some poor sap’s ass before I hand you yours!”

“Truly, your observational skills are _ass-tronomical,_ ” Jenn took off down the stairs at a slightly more than dignified pace.

“You-- _you--_ _**you--!** _ ”

* * *

Given there were three challengers and a number of Barons at the Chateau that night, a gauntlet tourney had been arranged. Jenn had drawn the short straw, and so would face the winner of the first match. The winner turned out to be an owlish teenager with bright orange eyes and a togepi in a snuggly over his suit. There was a chatot in a little blue and rainbow vest flying in lazy circles around him. Given Jenn had missed half the first match changing, xi wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

At the center of the field stood a particularly bored-looking man, holding his partner doublade in both hands. He lifted the right in a signal for the newly-made Baron and the challenger to step onto the field. As Jenn swept onto the field, xir opponent’s eyes widened in shock at the number of scars decorating Jenn’s skin.

“Baron Vivek versus Challenger Jenn. One pokemon, no switching, no items,” the referee let his sword drop and stepped back, “You may begin.”

Jenn and Vivek both raised their pokeballs high before releasing their pokemon. Jenn had chosen not to be an overleveled asshole, and so sent out Brienne. Vivek’s choice was a fletchinder which swooped around the field once before settling onto Vivek’s shoulder. He gave her a kiss on the head, and she preened his hair, then took her place on the battleground.

Vivek popped his lips twice, then made a diagonal gesture and wiggled his fingers. The chatot called out, “Apple, agility,” in a monotone squawk. Apple chattered at the chatot while swooping around the field again, faster this time, adding in a barrel roll with clear pizzaz.

Jenn’s eyes narrowed. Swooping around like that, the bird would be difficult to hit, but... “Brienne, psybeam!” The braixen whipped out her wooden needles, aiming with both of them to produce a wide beam she swept ahead of Apple.

Vivek pinched his fingers together and stabbed at the air. “Peck,” the chatot called out, grudgingly enthusiastically this time. Apple tried to sweep around the psybeam, but managed to clip herself in doing so. Brienne sprang back, but couldn’t fully avoid her faster opponent.

“Flame charge!” Jenn called out. Brienne’s needles swept down, a vortex of flame surrounding her as she turned the momentum of her leap against her opponent.

Vivek cupped his hand in front of his chest, then ‘threw’ it out. “Flame charge!” The chatot added helpfully. Apple curled her wings in, diving and igniting the air around herself in the process.

Neither trainer had to call out more for a few moments, as the pair of fire-types dove at each other, meeting several times, quickly turning the arena into a blur of flames. On the balcony, Korrina pressed a hand over her eyes and grumbled something uncomplimentary about pyromaniacs under her breath.

“CHIN!” Finally echoed out of the fray. Vivek gave a thumbs up.

“Go for it!” The chatot flapped his wings enthusiastically. Apple began to flail around, beating Brienne about the head and shoulders with her wings and feet.

“Xen!” Brienne recoiled and gekkered angrily.

“Use psybeam again.” Jenn’s voice carried clearly. Brienne pulled her needles up to defend herself and took aim point-blank, blasting the poor fletchinder across the arena and onto the opposite balcony.

Korrina groaned and motioned a maid over, ordering a glass of wine.

Apple chirped something. The chatot tilted his head, “I yield. Good game.” Vivek nodded, then headed for the other set of stairs, pulling on a falconry glove as he went. The announcer stepped gingerly into the center of the arena, as the floor was still smoking in places, and lifted the left-side doublade.

“Winner, Challenger Jenn. Congratulations and welcome to the rank of Baroness.” Jenn then proceeded to tune out most of the speech; xi’d heard plenty of the sort before. Blah blah blah great responsibility nurble nurble HERITAGE nurble TRADITION nurble nurble burble OPPORTUNITY nurble nurble nurble… But after another two minutes or so, xi finally tuned back in in time for, “Baroness Jenn verus Baron Moray.”

* * *

Kerry was seated, low in the chair, just watching the TV screen. “I owe you so many noogies,” she deadpanned.

“What? What did I do?” Jenn immediately unzipped xir dress and stepped out of it, reaching back to unhook xir bra next.

“Well let’s see. There’s the horde of Honedge you caused. I covered that up by the way. _You’re welcome_.” Kerry took a deep breath. “There’s the little show you put on with Korrina in front of the Battle Chateau, which is a hotspot for celebrity photography, there’s the fact that you made Viscountess in _six hours_ over the backs of _eight barons_ in a _gauntlet match_. Usually those are vicious wake-up calls for the new nobility. Oh, _and_ you did it over Vivek Alkonost, whose elder brother Sirin is infamous for doing _challenge_ runs of the junior cert for charity.”

Jenn blinked slowly, staring at Kerry with xir jaw slack and bra only halfway unhooked. “Uuuuh...”

Kerry let out a sigh. “And, of course, just now, I saw you coming back here, leading _Korrina_ , who is shitfaced, from watching _you_ battle, so much so she probably declined her match by default, and then followed you back here like a lost puppy.”

“They uh, they told her she was too drunk to fly?” Jenn attempted, cringing.

“I am not surprised.”

Jenn groaned and finished stripping out of xir bra, then flopped across the bed. “I’m on _every_ news channel now, aren’t I?” Was only slightly muffled.

“Surprisingly, no. Most information channels stubbornly continue to relay actual information about their various topics. You _did_ get on the local league news for breaking the Chateau gauntlet record, but other than that?”

“Correction,” Jenn held up a hand and one finger, “I made every _gossip_ channel.”

“There you go.”

Jenn groaned and pulled one of the pillows over xir head.

“That’ll ruin your carefully sculpted buns.”

“You mean the ones I can’t even take down by myself?”

“Diantha would be _so_ disappointed.”

“Eat my entire ass,” Jenn changed which finger was in the upright position.

“Considering the _gravity_ of the situation, I don’t think that’s wise.” She slid open her Pokedex and stared at the time. “Besides, we need your legs in full working order.”

“Oh?”

“We’re going to be bombing out of here at sunrise to try and avoid the photographers.”

Jenn groaned eloquently.

“Unless you want to try and break the record for making Grand Duchess?” A moment later, Kerry’s nose wrinkled. “If you’re going to respond like that, you can sleep on the couch. With Korrina.”

“We’re not waking her up, right? Let _her_ deal with the photographers?”

“On the one hand, that is so very tempting. On the other, that is _not_ how you treat your rival.” Kerry sighed.

“ _SHE IS NOT MY RIVAL--”_

 


	21. Intermission: Vlog 1

“So there’s this _thing_ that you want me to do,” Jenn started off, voice bitter and quietly angry, arms wrapped around Jacinth, “And I don’t even fucking know where to begin, okay? Like... I can’t really give you a complete history of the world because our education was so fucked up and piss-poor, and I mean, welcome to the salt mine, but I could find out more from the internet than I could ever learn in a classroom. Even with ninety percent of our classes being online!

“I... well, fuck, I guess I could start with the stupidest thing humanity did,” xi flopped backwards, cuddling the puppy closer to xir chest, ignoring the quiet sounds of Kerry getting ready somewhere out of the holocaster’s recording field. “Which is the gods-be-damned Bane Barriers. They were these big fuckoff towers that churned out this really high pitched droning noise that humans couldn’t hear but reaaaaally hurt pokemon ears. Like a dog whistle but worse. Right, shit, you have no idea what that is. Just, really high pitched noise that made pokemon even more aggressive than they naturally were, but also hurt too much for them to get anywhere near the source.”

“Closest equivalent is probably the Lake of Rage incident.” That was Kerry’s voice, still off-screen, narrating in a somewhat exasperated manner. “Using a radio transmitter to provide a noise to warning towers at the Lake of Rage, Team Rocket attempted to--”

“Force magikarp to evolve, yeah,” Jenn nodded.

“... Aaand I might need to find out where you found those news archives, holy shit.”

Jenn pointed off-camera, “Grab my gameboy. You want the silvery cartridge that says Ice Crystal on it.”

“... I’m. Just gonna take your word on that. Things are weird enough without opening _that_ can of worms.”

“Yeah, kinda figured. Anyways that’s... yeah that’s fairly close. Just was meant to keep them away, the pissing them off was a side-effect,” Jenn sighed. “Any-anyways, the Banes worked for ‘bout three or four years with a pretty low failure rate when properly installed. Unfortunately, they needed maintenance. Which meant turning them off temporarily, which meant a whoooole shitload of really pissed off pokemon bumrushing whatever temporary defenses were in place. When, say, the _entire area’s_ pissed-off pokemon bumrushed ‘em at the same time, well... They got through. And if they failed unexpectedly, there usually weren’t any temporary defenses.

“I’m pretty sure that’s what you guys call the Withering,” Jenn paused for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling.

After a minute or so of that, Jacinth patted xir face with a paw. Xi sighed, sat up, and rubbed xir face.

“Are you okay to continue?” Kerry asked.

“Just... There was no warning. People disappeared all the time, especially when travelling. My... my brother was... going to college and...” Jenn took a deep, ragged breath. Seconds later, Sera, Brienne, and Oberon had all piled in to cuddle xir.

“Yeah, I think we’re done,” Kerry said. The recording cut off.

* * *

“... I thought I was the hungover one.” Korrina stared at Jenn, taking in the demigirl’s completely wrecked body language.

Jenn slowly lifted a hand, then xir middle finger, before flopping back in the chair and staring at the ceiling. “... aren’t you ready yet?”

Jacinth pressed a paw to his face and tried not to sigh too obviously.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These vlogs are a way to explain a few things that have been nodded to, but haven't had a good place to be addressed in the narrative proper.
> 
> Any questions you have about the setting, especially as Jenn understands it, are welcome - give us stuff to address in these!


	22. Our Collective Dignity

Just past dawn, three young persons snuck out of the Camphier Hotel - with the help of a maid who was trying not to snicker her way through a muffin - and made their way out of town about two steps ahead of an over-eager Joltik.

“Why are you still with us?” Kerry asked Korrina rather pointedly once they had reached the bridge. She, the most practical of the three, was on a bike, and in the process of releasing her pokemon so they could have a good run alongside her.

Korrina shook her head, both of her Lucario out and darting ahead to scout out the terrain already. “Are you kidding? Connecting Cave’s called the Zubat Roost for a reason!”

“Because Bruce Wayne started his campaign there?” Jenn was lagging a bit behind due to the puppy in xir arms and kitten on xir head, but not so far that either of the other two was willing to slow down. Besides, it wasn’t like rushing Jenn would do Sera any good either.

“Who?” Echoed back to xir as the group dashed past the daycare.

“Batman!”

Korrina raised her eyebrows at Kerry. Kerry shrugged.

“It’s... uuuuugh. I’ll tell you when we’re not _fleeing for our collective dignity._ ”

* * *

“ _...ollective dignity.”_ Try as she might to ignore it, the white Lucario who worked with the daycare looked up just in time to see a group of Trainers and their pokemon go zooming past.

She briefly forgot she was currently looking after a handful of babies. ** <Whaaaaat the shit-> **

“Shit!” chirped a Chatot chick.

… Shit indeed. ** <Youstopthat!> **

“Shit shit shit!”

This was going to be fun to explain, wasn’t it. ** <You don’t get to use that word yet.> **

“ _SHIT!_ ”

“Aronn?” Marcel peeked out of the Daycare. “Is everything okay?”

_Save me_ . ** <Y-yes, everything’s fine!> **

“Shitshitshitshitshit!” the baby Chatot called out, flapping its wings excitedly.

Marcel paled. “Oh no.”

Aronn’s eyes widened and her fur bristled out. Um. Um, shit, um, fuck. Right, there was that egg-- **< I think the trainer who wanted this one just ran by, I’ll be right back!>** She scooped it up and ran like Marcie was at her heels. That route would eventually take them to... there.

* * *

“Okay, so how will this work, exactly?” The trio paused just outside the cave to briefly catch their breaths.

“Bunny,” Kerry raised an eyebrow.

Jenn and Korrina shared a brief look. “Ah.”

“Speaking of--” Kerry pulled out a Luxury Ball, of all things, and out popped her Raichu. “Proper introductions. Bunny, you’ve already met Jenn. This is Korrina.”

Heff heff. Heff heff.

“Awwwwwww!” Korrina cooed, face going all sappy while she crouched down. Jenn rolled xir eyes, but kept xir mouth shut.

Bunny tilted her head just a little, continuing to zip around Korrina’s general area to take in the smell.

Jenn and Sera both carefully stepped back. After a moment, Korrina’s Lucario pair did as well.

“Chuuuuuuu?”

“They say they’re not,” Kerry shrugged. “Anyway, we’re headed through this cave for now; ready?”

Korrina finally seemed to notice that everyone who was a better conductor than she had stepped _away_ from the cute... electric rodent. Her face went briefly pale.

“Don’t assume pouncing position,” Jenn recited in the tone of someone who had learned that lesson the hard way, and really been looking forward to watching someone else do the same.

“Bunny’s a. A little skittish?” Korrina asked Kerry.

“All of Pichu’s line are that way,” Kerry said, slightly lower in volume than usual. “They’re prey species that have developed a very good defense against their primary predator-- in most cases a local large fly type. This also means they have sensitive hearing. The nose, however, is from seeking out food sources.”

“This is particularly notable,” Jenn sat down and dug around in xir pack to find a juicy Oran Berry and sat it down between xir legs slowly, “In ones caught outside of the beginner routes. Hi, Bunny. Issokie.”

Bunny paused from looking at the cave to sniff the air again, and then turned around to see the Oran Berry. She looked at Kerry, who didn’t look into Bunny’s eyes as she nodded.

Bunny immediately zipped over to Jenn and picked up the Berry.

Jenn smiled, carefully keeping xir teeth covered and not looking Bunny in the eye either. Korrina stared at Jenn like xi’d grown a second head.

“Xi’s been travelling with me for some time,” Kerry explained to Korrina’s look. “It’s no surprise that xi understands how to avoid problems with most of my primary team.”

Jenn started to nod, then remembered xi had an Espurr perched on xir head.

“ **Purr?”**

“Also, y’know,” Jenn pointed up.

“Can’t just pick a type and stick to it, can you?”

“... Fffffire?” Jenn attempted to help.

Korrina facepalmed.

“Even within a type,” Kerry said, “You have vastly different temperaments and personalities. While all Fighting types enjoy and seek challenges, the _sorts_ of challenges they accept _as_ challenges varies from species to species, and occasionally even to individuals within the species.”

“Yeah, I mean, Sera and Li tend to roughhouse and...” Jenn snickered a little, covering xir mouth.

“They have different goals and styles when they play,” Kerry summarized, lips twitching slightly. “We need to leave; the natives have collected pitchforks.”

* * *

Kerry suppressed her Aura at last as they came to the other side of the Connecting Cave, and took a deep breath. “Okay. We should be on Route 8-

“Oh for heaven’s sake.”

Jenn nodded xir resigned agreement. A twisting maze of one-way slopes faced the trio and their small horde of pokemon. It seemed designed to force them to pick their way along the clifftop at a painstaking pace, each move carefully considered and with no way down to the soft sand that was within normal human capabilities.

Of course, none of them were actually terribly constrained by that restriction. Korrina, without thinking about it, clicked her boots back to regular boots instead of skates, got a running start, and quite simply leaped off the edge of one of the cliffs, landing on the sand with a roll, a small crater caused by using aura to cushion the impact, and a laugh.

“... No wonder she wears a helmet all the time,” Jenn grumbled.

“Hm. On the one hand, continuing along the cliff was the route I had planned earlier today. On the other hand…” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to take that?”

“Aw _hell_ naw,” Jenn shook xir head.

“I’ll leave you to your devices, then. I have something to check out in Ambrette.”

“Alright. Call ya tonight, let you know how it went,” Jenn grinned, returning xir ‘mons to her balls and wandering down the cliffside to find a place with easy water access. A moment behind a rock to change, and xir familiar black and green bathing suit was on. Xi too took a running start, before cannonballing into the bay below.

Kerry watched, made sure Jenn hit the dive okay, hit a thumbs up before Jenn surfaced, and walked along the cliff.

Korrina blinked. “HEY! HEY HOLD ON, XI DOESN’T HAVE SURF YET--”

Jenn surfaced with a laugh, just floating for a moment before rolling over, getting her bearings, and beginning to swim for the shore. Xi wasn’t the fastest swimmer, but xi did have perfect form and seemed to have no problems with the waves.

“SINCE WHEN CAN YOU SWIM?” Korrina called out, before going silent and sending her best glare towards the steadily-retreating form on the clifftops.

“Since I was Jacinth’s size?” Jenn called back, reaching waist-deep water and touching down to wade the rest of the way to the shore, carefully lifting her now sopping hair to wring it out.

Korrina put her hands on her hips. “You seriously mean to tell me that your grandperes put you in dangerous waters from the time you were the size of one of your bre--” _HOLY SHIT._

Jenn snorted. “No, no, my mom started teaching me to swim when I was still in diapers because my family likes swimming, and leaving a little kid near a pool without teaching them how to swim is a good way to end up with a dead kid. Also, they’re not quite _that_ big. You gon’ put your eyes back in your head anytime soon?”

Korrina coughed and turned away, and only then smiled a smug smile. “Yes. I am.”

“Good,” Jenn took a moment to pull a long strip of black gauzy fabric, trimmed with beads, from xir bag of holding, tied it around xir waist, and also dug out a sunhat. That would do for now. Sera popped her ball open a moment later, yawning and stretching.

“ **Wading?”**

“That’s the plan,” Jenn nodded.

Korrina rolled her eyes and followed the pair along the shore, watching her own Lucario pair dash off ahead. Sera didn’t look remotely interested in following them.

A handful of trainers spotted the small group, but by the time they were close enough to call challenge, they instantly paled, stuttered a greeting, and fled.

“... Holy shit, that’s awesome,” Jenn, for once, didn’t even sound unintentionally sarcastic.

“Yes, well. Rank does, occasionally, have its privileges,” Korrina said, grin widening. “Although-- you… _Did_ realize that your master used your rivalry with me to go check out something potentially too dangerous for you, yes?”

Jenn glowered over at her. “I suspect it was more about avoiding the gossips, who are more likely to follow _us_ , no thanks to you.”

Korrina blinked at that last phrase and then said, “I’d ask why you talk like something my grandpere would read, but you wouldn’t tell me the truth.”

Jenn grinned an evil grin. “No, no, go ahead and guess. It gives me more fuel for later.”

“Better question: Why would you lie?”

“Ever hear the phrase, truth is stranger than fiction?”

“Hm. Well, I don’t see the Heralds of the Seas, and yet I am tempted to say you were sent by the gods to restore balance to Kalos.”

Jenn paused and stared over at her. “Well, that’s closer than ‘you’re from Mars’.” Sera grinned over at her, looking particularly mischievous.

“... They are both ludicrous.”

“And yet one is still closer to the truth than the other,” Jenn shrugged. “Oh, look, there’s Cyllage. Didn’t you have something you wanted to be doing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Cheesing Cyllage


End file.
